Dare to Live
by blackjeans101
Summary: Edward leaves Bella and she is left to be heartbroken. However, someone dangerous who thirsts for Bella's blood is back. And this time, it won't be easy. Will Edward end up changing Bella or will he leave... again? Review por favor!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Review please! _

**Chapter 1 (Preface) **

"You can't be serious."

My whisper came out in a cloud as I stood, facing his back. The figure in front of me became hunched, in the most artistic way, a white hand gripping a nearby tree. He muttered,

"I am."

I drew in a sharp intake of breath, not believing what I had just heard. The snow drifted unto my eyelashes, creating a soft curtain as my eyes stared at Edward's inhumanely stunning hair and back. I blinked painfully, letting a fresh coat of hot tears spread around my eyes. My throat burned as I hoarsely spoke,

"When are you leaving?"

"Right after I take you home."

I swallowed, letting the pain travel down my throat slowly. My teeth clenching, I leaned my back unto a snow covered trunk of Edward's Volvo. My body was numb to the cold as I clarified with a hollow echo to my voice,

"You can't do this to me. You said you loved me, Edward."

Edward's mourning, topaz eyes were suddenly staring into my face intently. My heart did a little flutter as he whispered, his pleasant breath hanging like a cloud at my nose,

"I do love you, Bella. You know with all your heart that I do. We stayed at one place for too long. It is now time for us to move on."

I wanted to slide down to the soft snow, to plop down and close my eyes. However, Edward's firm hands supported my weight as he held me up to a standing position. I whispered,

"You know I'll never get over you, Edward."

A sad, crooked smile played along his lips.

"Yes, you will."

I fluttered my eyelids open. The harsh wind stung them, but the tears were not from the cold. A pang of anger boiled underneath my skin as I pushed myself away from him. My voice trembled as I screamed,

"What do you know, Edward? Maybe you will, but I'll die before that ever happens! Take me with you!"

A sigh escaped his pale, perfect lips. He turned away from my anger and opened the passenger door for me. Gently, he murmured,

"Get in."

My breathing became erratic as I stood where I was. My voice crackled as I defiantly said,

"No."

Edward's eyebrows shot up and his grip on the open door tightened. I bit my lips and whipped away from him, tramping through the thin layer of snow. I wanted to get away from here. I wanted to leave this stupid place, anywhere but here, where Edward was telling me that he was leaving me. I heard the door close and Edward's voice as he demanded,

"Where are you going?"

"I'm walking home."

He easily kept up with my rapid walking. His voice was bemused as he tried to talk sense into me.

"Bella, it's _snowing. _You don't even know where the road is. You don't know what you're doing!"

My voice pierced the air, causing some birds to flutter from their trees. I shouted,

"No, Edward, it's _you _who don't know what you're doing. You are going to _leave_ me."

Pale, cold fingers grasped at my wrist gently yet with force. Before I knew what was happening, I was staring into the golden eyes of Edward Cullen. He murmured,

"Bella, please listen to me. Get in the car, and we'll talk about it."

I stood there, my feet getting wet and cold from the snow seeping into my shoes. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks as I stared into the beautiful face of Edward.

"Come on."

He returned back to where his car was and opened the door again for me. I sighed and stomped angrily through the snow, brushing past Edward. He shut the door when I got in and settled myself unto the familiar, leather seat. Soon, we were speeding through the highway, away from the park. Saddened again by the thought of Edward leaving, all traces of my anger disappeared. I pleaded again,

"Edward, please think about it. You can change me now, and take me with you."

"Bella, I can't do that."

My tear scorched my cold cheeks as it rolled down my pale face. I sighed and looked out the window, not wanting Edward to see the fresh new tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably.

"Bella."

His whisper was soft and heartbreaking. I quickly raised my numb fingers to my face and hurriedly smeared the tears all over my hands and around my eyes. The car had stopped. I was now staring at my house, looking lonely and sad as a thin layer of snow drifted unto its lawn and roof.

"Yes?"

I managed to croak out the reply.

A long, cool finger brushed beneath my eye, catching a pearly tear that I had missed. I still averted my eyes from him, not wanting to be dazzled when this was the last time I had to see him. I wanted my last moment with him to be filled with true emotions. He whispered,

"Goodbye, love. I will miss you for eternity."

I let out a pained gasp at his words of farewell. It was so beautiful and painful at the same time. I turned my eyes toward him and leaned to kiss him, one last time. After a long moment, he gently broke away from my kiss. He murmured,

"I love you."

I did not reply, my throat throbbing with agony. I let one large tear drop as I opened the door and took another glance at him. He gave me a faint, encouraging smile, one that broke my heart entirely. I wept as I made my way to the driveway, watching Edward start the engine. His lips were trembling.

It had stopped snowing, and now it was raining. The drops of water pounded at my hair and shoulders as I watched Edward's silver Volvo speed away. To escape the prying eyes and suspicions of Forks, to leave me behind, miserable and empty. My voice broke as I whispered to the vacuum of gray darkness,

"Goodbye, Edward."

**Please review! It's really encouraging to have them, you know...**

**I have never attempted at this kind of "leave" thing before, so please tell me what you think!**

**So I can continue them... **

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Twilight does not belong to me, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

_A/N: Just in case you are wondering, Francesco lo Caravello is not a real character, and Venerio lo Caravello was never the king of Italy. I just made that up. I also know that all the sayings and greetings are not accurate. I am not very familiar to the history of Italy and how they treated royalties. (I have only been engrossed in England's royalty) _

_… Please forgive me if I offend you or annoy you in any way by my historical ignorance. _

_I have also used Google language tools for the translations. (I only know Spanish… tear tear. Leave the rest to the internet.) __ review, even if my story is horrific. _

Blackjeans101

**I know that this chapter will be boring, but I had a little fun with the historical flashback thing. Actually, the important stuff are at the way end, so you can only read the last section and still get the whole main point of the chapter... lol**

**But please review!**

**Chapter 2 **

**_Flashback: _**

Francesco lo Caravello slung himself unto a bright, white horse carelessly. His strong hands gripped the rein and he tugged at it gently. He murmured to his horse,

"Come, Antonius. Run faster than wind can ever hope to blow."

Antonius neighed with deep loyalty and affection as he shook his silvery mane proudly. He stomped his feet on the ground, getting ready to gallop through the wide, green meadow. With one last neigh, Antonius glided like a boat on the calm ocean as his feet touched the emerald grass easily. With his hair blowing wildly behind him, Francesco threw back his head and laughed. This was his joy, his life. With a gloved hand, he patted the silky, white hair of Antonius lovingly. He whispered,

"Yes, Antonius, run as you have never done before. Help me carry out the worry that dwells in my heart, the monstrous devil that keeps me awake each and every damned night."

Francesco curled his lips in fury as the qualms of his life crashed down upon him. He pulled at the reins jerkily, causing Antonius to come to a surprised stop. Francesco hopped off the silvery steed and put his boots down unto the ground heavily. He sighed and leaned against Antonius. He muttered more to himself than the horse,

"Aye, what a sad life I have. To be married away to a lady I have never seen, a princess of France. It's not an easy life, being the prince of the great Italian king, Venerio lo Caravello."

Francesco twined his fingers together. He muttered as he stared into the setting sun,

"It is time to return."

The ride to the kingdom was mournful and slow. Antonius trotted through the meadow, the vendors' markets, and the grand, stone bridge. The sun was now setting, casting a pink shadow across the small kingdom of Venerio lo Caravello. The farmers and the marketers had retreated to their minute homes, greeted by their tired yet cheery children. Francesco sighed as he led Antonius to his stall, patting his moonlit forehead. He mumbled softly,

"Until tomorrow, dear friend."

"principe del signore! (translation: Sir prince)"

A wheezy voice suddenly rang through the horses' stalls, disturbing the brooding silence of Francesco. It continued,

"Signore (sir), you must come quickly! I have been looking all over for you, signore (sir). The ambassador from France has come!"

Francesco's black locks whipped around quickly, facing his servant quickly. His brown eyes became large as he muttered,

"The ambassador? But are you sure?"

The servant's impatience became clear as he shuffled his feet nervously on the hay sprinkled ground. He nodded frantically and added,

"But please come quickly, signore, the whole kingdom itself had flopped upside down just looking for you."

Francesco strode past the servant and walked quickly to the Hall. It was where the king would be waiting, his ancient face twisted with irritation and impatience. Venerio lo Caravello was well known for his quick anger. His silken locks brushing against his face, he kneeled at the sight of his father. He said,

"Il vostro majesty, perdona prego la mia assenza."

_ Translation: "Your majesty, please forgive my absence." _

The king's face was like wrinkled raisin as he squeaky voice raised an octave. The edginess in his voice was clear as he shrilled,

"Che cosa li ha mantenuti, Francesco?"

_Translation: "What kept you, Francesco?" _

"Sto ammirando il vostro regno più bello, la maggior parte del padre gentile."

_Translation: "I have been admiring your most beautiful kingdom, most kind father." _

Venero sighed, discontented. He had wanted to pick on Francesco's actions today, but perhaps next time. Yes, next time the old king shall surely avail from a gravely mistake. From the corner of his eyes, Francesco caught a glimpse of the old man's disappointment. He had won this time, but there were more to come. When he turned his focus to the right of the king, he saw a mid-aged man with a stylish hat and fancy clothes. Venero nodded as the man looked at him for permission. He stepped forward and cleared his throat importantly. In French, he spoke richly,

"The good princess Marguerite de Neuville shall be traveling here to this kingdom to join with thee, good lord, to celebrate an eternal happiness."

Francesco looked down at the marble floor, trying to hide the flood of dread. He did not want to marry a lady he had never seen in his life. Francesco raised his head again and nodded curtly.

"Of course, ambassador. May God allow a safe journey."

The king, when seeing that the message had been delivered, waved his wizen hand in dismissal. The ambassador kneeled and backed away respectfully. He then turned his beady, black eyes to his young son. He said with a piercing voice,

"You are dismissed from my presence."

Francesco paid his farewell respects and backed away from the king, his eyes averted. His stride became rapid as he hurried towards his living quarters. A sigh of relief automatically escaped his lips as he plopped down upon the feather mattress, away from his father's prying eyes.

_Fast forward a few years… _

Marguerite sighed, her warm breath hanging on the cold air sadly. Her deep, brown eyes were downcast as pearly tears rolled down her fair cheeks sadly. Her whisper came out into a white cloud,

"Francesco does not love me, does he? Am I to be alone in this forlorn world without any love to console me, then?"

Another tear escaped her big, beautiful eyes. She had been only sixteen years old when she became wedded to Francesco lo Caravello. Leaving her beautiful French kingdom, she came into a foreign world of Italy, ignored by her own husband. No one cared to love her except her faithful maid, Anne. Her husband was devoted to the nature, riding his horse every day and coming back only at night, being too tired and too apathetic to talk to her.

"My lady!"

Her servant's merry voice called to her, bringing warmth to her body. She turned around quickly, the cold morning wind whipping at her face. Anne gathered her skirt around her and scurried over to Marguerite.

"Oh, my lady. You must be so cold!"

Anne's rosy, skinny face was painted in worry as she said,

"There will be a ball tonight, celebrating the king's birthday. We must hurry and get you dressed, my lady."

Marguerite was pushed down unto a wooden stool and dressed for eight hours. Her hair was elaborately curled, and it took two hours to work on them. The other hours were devoted to cleaning her up and putting on makeup. Her back ached terribly and her head felt droopy from all of the heavy ornaments pinned into her brown locks. Anne's whisper was like heaven,

"My lady, you are done."

Marguerite opened her eyes and smiled daintily. Her beauty radiated on her face, her lips puckered and rosy red. She stood gracefully and walked down smoothly into the Dancing Hall. Every male's eyes were lingered on her as she shyly went to the corner, trying to spot out her husband. However, he was not present. _How strange. The king must be fuming! _When she turned her eyes toward the king, his face was filled with happiness and enjoyment of the party.

"My lady."

Marguerite lifted her eyes to behold the face of the man who had spoken to her in the gentlest voice. She gaped at his beauty. His face was very pale with dark, purple circles beneath his eyes and blazing burgundy eyes. His voice was luring and gentle as he spoke again,

"May I have this dance?"

Marguerite extended her hand and lightly touched the gentleman's gloved hands. She pulled away, surprised, when she felt the hands to be freezing cold. However, she put them back in place and let herself to be led into a dance. The gentleman's voice was soft as he murmured,

"I didn't have the chance to introduce myself. My name is Jonathon Bier. I had traveled from England as an ambassador."

Marguerite nodded.

"I am the wife of Francesco lo Caravello."

His whisper was soft as he murmured,

"I am sorry that a lovely lady like you had to marry an unloving man like that."

Marguerite turned her face, not wanting Jonathon to see the warm, fresh tears clinging to her eyes. Jonathon mumbled,

"My apologies."

"No, no, it's nothing."

They kept on dancing through the night, a song after song. Soon, Marguerite believed herself to be in love with this charming ambassador.

They planned a meeting that night, beside the weeping willow.

"Come, Anne, you must help me out of this dress quickly!"

After the party, Marguerite was fussing to be right on time for the handsome love of her life. Anne's little face was shocked yet obedient as she helped to get Marguerite into a more comfortable attire. Marguerite cautioned,

"Stay here, Anne. Do not follow me."

Anne tipped her head over questioningly but whispered with a loyal face,

"Yes, my lady."

The moon's rays spilled over the stone statues as Marguerite gripped her skirts about her frantically. Her small feet sounded extremely loud as she took petite steps, closer to her first love. She thought of the gentleman yet again; his silky blonde hair, his heartwarming smile. She stepped faster, her breathing becoming heavier each time. Finally, her small slippers felt the soft touch of the silky grass.

"Jonathon?"

Her frightened voice called softly through the night.

"I am here, my lady."

She breathed in relief, seeing the similar dark figure casting a shadow on her slender figure. Jonathon reached his hand over to tip Marguerite's chin to face his beautiful face. He leaned his head down to her neck, kissing her softly. Her heart fluttered as his teeth brushed past her pale, exposed neck. Jonathon's whisper was like honey as he murmured,

"Goodbye, my lady. Forgive me for doing this…"

Before Marguerite could question this cryptic and sudden statement, she felt a soaring pain searing in her neck.

Jonathon stood over Marguerite's crumpled form. He licked his teeth delightfully and murmured,

"What delicious blood that was! I have never smelled anything like it… so floral, so similar to freesia."

Without a centimeter of guilt, the vampire whipped away through the night, concealing himself before a shriek enough to wake the whole kingdom was heard in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I would like to thank all of my reviewers: xxPiratesxx, trulyfearless17, FallenAngel5439, Bright Green Eyes, dary fairy79, and 1stepbehind29!! _

**_I would also like to explain the second chapter_**_, as it was poorly explained and confusing. The second chapter has nothing to do with the first chapter. The beginning of the second chapter is also really trivial to the whole story. It was just a transition to bring Marguerite into the story, and Jonathon Bier. All the other people are unimportant, really. The whole focus in that chapter was to bring background information of Jonathon. So, simply put, the main point of that chapter was: _

_Jonathon has the same attraction to the certain scent of blood as Edward. (hint hint) _

_That's really it. I should've made it a little less confusing… and deleted the extra trivial stuff, with Francesco and stuff. But I had a lot of fun with that chapter. _

_I promise the other ones will be less confusing. If you're still bamboozled (love that word) by chapter 2, please review and I will personally reply. _

_The other chapters will be in Bella's present tense, unless otherwise indicated. _

**Disclaimer: **Twilight does not belong to me, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 3 **

A year. It had been exactly a year since Edward had left me, since I had last seen the back of his beloved Volvo. I sighed as I stared out the window of my bedroom, gloomily watching the drops of rain roll down the glass in an endless continuity. My warm breath made a faint cloud on the glass, fogging my miserable face and expression. I did not cry anymore for Edward; I stopped weeping on my faded pillow at night, my sobs muffled into the old fabric. Instead, it became a terrible ache, as if I was bleeding inside.

"Bella."

I quickly whipped around my head to see Charlie's face peering into my dark room. The lights from the living room flooded into my face, making me squint. Charlie's finger flickered over to the light switch, and soon enough I was surrounded by yellow, gleaming light. I sighed,

"What is it dad?"

"Honey, it's time for school. How long have you been up?"

I turned my head to the alarm clock. 6 a.m. I shrugged and turned my eyes back to Charlie's worried face, creased with anxiety. He had a right to be worried as I seldom woke up so early.

"The rain woke me up."

That was a lie. I had been up since night, my thoughts on Edward and the moments we had together. I did this almost once a week, thinking of Edward, longing for him.

Charlie's voice was unbelieving yet concerned as he said,

"O.K, Bells. You know where to call if you get too tired or something."

I nodded with a fake smile plastered unto my face. Charlie left the house and shut the door softly behind him. With another sigh, yet heavier this time, I moved myself from the window and got ready for school.

As I opened the door of my truck, my hand touching the cold metal, I heard a soft groan. Startled, I quickly turned around to see if anyone was there. My heart was pounding like mad, as if a blacksmith was rhythmically hitting at a piece of metal with an iron hammer. My breathing turned erratic as I squinted into the fog of my yard, my eyes scanning my surroundings carefully.

"Who's there?"

I was surprised at my hoarse whisper. It seemed far too dry to be my own voice. I gulped nervously, my hand still gripping the door of my truck. There was no reply. Only nerve racking silence. I shook my head violently, trying to convince myself that it was either me groaning without realization or the protesting moan from my truck.

"Get a grip, Isabella Swan. You are not going to go crazy on me."

I murmured to myself as I hopped into my truck and drove down to my school.

"Hi, Bella!"

A cheerful voice leaped out into the air as I walked down the parking lot, my backpack slung unto my back in a careless manner. I turned my head to see the jovial face of Mike Newton. I internally groaned, not wanting to have any of his merry chit chat in my current mental state. However, I smiled in return and responded with a friendly,

"Hey, Mike!"

Mike's hurried up to walk beside me, his spiky blond hair jutting out neatly. His face was flushed pink as his voice piped up,

"Bella, guess what?"

Trying to conceal my apathy for the trivial details of Mike's life, I brightened my voice and exclaimed,

"What?"

Encouraged by my show of enthusiasm, Mike's voice sped up,

"I'm having a birthday party in a few weeks, and I was wondering if you could come."

I cleared my throat, not knowing what to say. My silence must've been long, because Mike's voice was downcast as he murmured,

"I know you're probably busy and everything…"

"What are you going to do for your party?"

Mike's complexion brightened as he explained with a flush,

"We're going to go to party at my house. There will be loud music, a lot of food, and lots of people…"

I wanted to barf. Music, dancing, and lots of people were the last things in earth that I needed at this moment. I pursed my lips as I said with a sincere look of apology in my voice,

"Sorry, Mike, but I've been sick lately and I don't think I should be at a place with a bunch of people."

Mike's baby like face fell, clearly disappointed. I smiled encouragingly,

"But I'll still get you a present."

Mike's voice was barely audible as he shuffled his feet and said awkwardly,

"But I want you to come. I can invite less people."

I sighed,

"Look, Mike, I'm really sorry. But I don't think I can make it. Maybe next year."

"But next year we'll be out of school."

I was in front of my locker now, facing Mike with a rueful expression. I replied,

"But we'll still see each other, right?"

A sigh escaped his lips as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away, slouching. He muttered,

"Sure."

I sighed, wanting to lay on the ground, to just let go of all this stress. My head ached terribly, sending waves of throbbing pain to my head. I leaned against my locker, ignoring the stares of the passing students, the murmur of discussions and gossip, and the bell for school to begin. I felt the coolness of the metal beginning to calm me, taking away the heat from the stress.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

I fluttered my eyes open, surprised at the voice. It was buttery soft, charming, and soothing. When I focused my eyes on the speaker, I nearly jumped out of my skin, hitting my elbow on the lockers with surprise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thank you to: GoodyGoody23, lizziemcclure, dary fairy79, FallenAngel5439, and losingmyfaith_.

**Chapter 4 **

Pale face, dark, purple circles underneath his eyes, the perfect, inhuman face. A vampire. The stranger tipped his head over to one side in surprise, and then smiled, revealing a mouthful of pearly, white teeth. He did not offer his hand but spoke again,

"My name is Perry McFaul. I just enrolled in this school, and I was looking for the gym. Could you please tell me where it is?"

I knew it. His accent was from centuries ago, rather too polite and formal for the 20th century. There was no slang in his tone, no I'm-so-cool-for-you air in his voice. I shrugged at looked at his eyes. They were topaz. He couldn't be dangerous. I smiled back and neatly stacked my books in my arms.

"Sure, I was heading to history class. It's near the gym."

Perry nodded and walked gracefully beside me, his long legs moving with envious effortlessness. To ease the awkward silence that I was holding, Perry began to talk,

"How do you like Forks?"

I smiled,

"It's a small town where everyone knows everything that's going on, but it's tolerable."

Perry nodded, his brown hair bobbing up and down. I asked politely,

"So, why'd you come to Forks?"

There was a brief pause as Perry thought this question over in his head. Furtively, I could not help but think, _it's probably because of the rain and the lack of sun. _

"My father was offered a business opportunity."

I nodded. _The usual excuse. _

Soon, Perry was standing in front of the wide, metal doors of the gym. He smiled and said gratefully,

"Thank you very much for showing me where the gym is."

"Nah, it's nothing. See you later, Perry. Nice meeting you!"

Perry McFaul nodded in response and opened the door. The school campus was deserted, and I knew that I was late to my first period class. However, I walked slowly down to history class, my thoughts on Perry. He was a vampire, and he was an animal drinker like Edward. If he is an animal drinker, he should not be dangerous. I could be friends with him. I shrugged as I pushed open the door with my shoulder.

"That's very kind of you to join us, Miss. Swan."

I blushed as everyone's eyes were on me, following with their eyes as I plopped down on the seat next to Jessica. As Mr. Bioni was lecturing us about the important of WWII, Jessica hissed from the corner of her mouth,

"Bella, where were you? You're rarely late!"

I shrugged and whispered back,

"I met this new guy."

I made an annoyed face as Jessica snorted,

"Perry McFaul?"

I shrugged once again.

"He needed to find where the gym was."

There was a pause.

"Or maybe he likes you."

I rolled my eyes.

"Jessica, you are so –"

"Miss. Swan! Miss. Stanley! Please pay attention."

The bell rang soon after. I sighed in relief and hurried out, anxious to get away before Jessica asked for further details of my encounter with Perry. As I was hurrying out, I looked back to see if she was coming, but suddenly bumped into a cold, hard back.

"Oops, sorry."

Perry's face turned around as my red cheeks glowed in embarrassment. He had been talking in the hallway with one of the guys, Luke Opal. Much to my abashment, Luke sniggered. I murmured an apology again and was about to go.

"No, don't worry about it. Bella, where is your next class?"

I peeked over at Luke's pained expression as he was about to hide his laughter. My face burned as I muttered,

"Um, Calculus."

"Great, I have Calculus too. Would you like to walk?"

"Ok."

My face was burning mercilessly as Perry said,

"It's nice to meet you again."

It sounded as if I had meant to bump into him. I muttered,

"Sorry, I wasn't looking at where I was going, and I sort of have this thing of bumping into people."

A laugh erupted from Perry's lips. It wasn't as beautiful as Edward's, but it still sounded musical.

"How was history?"

"Boring… I was sitting by an inquisitive friend."

"Ah."

Our short conversation had ended when we entered the classroom. I slid into the seat next to a strawberry blonde. I sighed in relief, glad to be away from Perry. That had been humiliating.

Once again, the bell rang. I grabbed my books and headed out the door.

"Bella!"

I turned around to see Perry gliding over to me. His face was smiling as he approached.

"Where's your next class?"

"English."

"Ah. After the next period is lunch, right?"

"Yes."

There was a pause as Perry grinned.

"I'm reserving a seat next to you."

I smiled back and replied politely,

"Sure."

He waved goodbye and walked off to his next class, disappearing as the mob of giggling teenagers walked towards me. I shrugged, for what seemed like the hundredth time today, and walked off to English class.

* * *

**  
**

"Bella, over here!"

Grabbing my sack of lunch, I waved back as Perry patted a seat next to him. I threw an apologetic look to Jessica and Angela. Jessica smiled evilly and winked. She mouthed,

"Good luck."

I had a wild temptation to tackle her, but I rolled my eyes instead. Walking quickly, I plopped down ungracefully in front of Perry.

"What's up?"

Perry shrugged and ruffled his brown locks mournfully.

"Ugh, what is wrong with our science teacher?"

I laughed as I bit into my sandwich.

"Everyone hates her. I mean, she's obsessed about what she teaches. She gets mad when you don't show as much enthusiasm as she does. It's insane."

Perry nodded his head.

"Hey, Bella, I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Did… you know the Cullens?"

A pang went through my heart as I recalled them. I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I heard that they… well, they used to live here."

I nodded slowly. A silence enveloped us awkwardly as I kept chewing on my sandwich. I noticed that Perry was not eating anything. _Well, of course, he is a vampire._ But was I sure of that? I had to know. I flipped my hair back. I leaned toward him and murmured,

"Can I ask you something now?"

Perry smiled, yet it was a little defensive.

"Ok, sure."

I swallowed the chunk of bread as I whispered, my eyes staring into his topaz eyes, already 99.9 knowing the answer,

"_What _are you?" 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thank you so much to all those who had left nice reviews: Mis, xxPiratesxx, theloserhobbs, FallenAngel5439, and losingmyfaith. It is so nice to sit in front of my computer in the morning to check if I had gotten any reviews and seeing so many lovely reviews! You all are so nice to me and even though my story stinks thank you so much for reviewing and reading! It means a whole lot to me. _

_And that brings to mind… some one had left a flame. Yes, my first flamer. I know, I am supposed to be all mad and ripping out my hair, (lol) but it wasn't that bad… sigh. "That was stupid! Perry? Seriously, I thought Edward was going to come back. Sorry, I luv twilight, but your story stinks." I am sure you all read it as one of the reviews. I know that I should bring Edward soon, and I will. Thank you to all those who left beautiful reviews once again (I could say that a million times and not get tired.) _

_THANK YOU! _

_Blackjeans101 _

**Chapter 5 **

Perry leaned away from me, his hands gripping the table. His eyes had turned coal black and his eyebrows were knitted together, his face whiter than bone. A harsh whisper escaped his lips,

"Whatever do you mean, Bella?"

I sighed and turned away from him.

"I don't know, I sort of guessed what you are…"

Perry's eyes grew hard as he clenched his jaws. I almost heard his iron teeth rubbing together, his nervousness and anger fuming out of his eyes. His voice was strapped into his throat as he murmured,

"Tell me."

I bit my lips and watched Perry's patient yet angry face from the corner of my eye. I traced a pattern on the plastic table as I muttered,

"Vampire?"

Perry inhaled sharply, his eyes narrowed. But, in the matter of seconds, his face relaxed and he cracked up a grin.

"I suppose you know this because of the Cullens?"

It was now my turn to narrow my eyes. I glared at his perfect face, my voice flooding with suspicion,

"And how do _you_ know this?"

Perry shrugged and put a pale hand on his knee.

"My father knew Dr. Carlisle, you know."

"Ah."

"We vegetarians are quite connected, let me tell you."

I nodded. Perry shrugged and shot me a sheepish look,

"Would you like to come over today?"

I bit my lips and stared at him, my head tipped to one side. What the hell, why not?

"Ok."

"Meet me at the parking lot."

"Actually, you can follow me to my house and I'll drop off my truck there and go over."

"Ok, sure."

For the rest of the day, I was wondering about Perry's home. Would it be open and beautiful as the Cullens? What was his special talent?

Finally, much to my excitement, the bell rang, excusing all of us. I walked rapidly to the parking lot. Perry was standing beside a tree, and hurried over as he saw me. I waved and continued walking to my truck, the keys swinging around on my finger.

"Hey, Bella!"

"Hi! Ready to go?"

"Sure."

I got into my truck and slowly drove to my house, with Perry following right behind. When I had parked my truck safely on the driveway, Perry waited for me to join him in his car. I opened his car and got in.

"Wow, cool car." **In my profile. **

"Thanks."

Perry drove quickly out of my little street and sped into some unknown part, out of Forks. Curious, I asked,

"So, you don't live in Forks?"

"No, actually."

"Why would you drive all the way to the high school at Forks, then?"

"Because…"

There was a brief pause. I waited patiently, my eyebrows slightly raised. Perry began again,

"Because I like Forks and its school."

Then why would he pause before saying such an obvious answer? I decided to prod him further,

"Oh. But how do you know you like the school?"

"I did some research."

He shot me a furtive glance, but quickly looked away.

"Oh, ok."

I sat uncomfortably in the chair, my thoughts drifting to the realm of suspicion. Perry quickly sparked out another conversation, away from his personal life.

"How did you get to know the Cullens?"

Pang. My heart came to a sudden stop. Perry, hearing this with his super hearing powers, looked at me with panic. I breathed in slowly, trying to get the big, empty feeling out of my guts.

"I… was friends with Edward."

Perry seemed to get the reason why my heart beat was erratic and shallow. He switched the topic again,

"What do you like to do for fun?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair once again. Ever since Edward left, there was really no 'fun' in my life, only shadows or glimpses of them.

"I don't know."

Perry shook his head in disapproval.

"Oh, come on. There has to be at least one hobby."

Hobby? Um….

"Well, I read often. It gets my mind away from stuff time to time…"

"I see."

I had been too distracted by the conversation. The ride was just way too long.

"Hey, Perry? How long 'til we get to your house?"

"Um, about thirty minutes or so."

I raised my eyebrows. With his mad speed, thirty minutes to get to his house? This was strange. Suddenly, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a ring of my cell phone. I dug into my pockets and flipped the phone over. Curious, I looked at who was calling.

When I read the caller ID, I almost got a heart attack.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_ Thank you so much to my reviewers: RainxxChimes, S.K.E.D.7, Meg00, dary fairy79, theloserhobbs, Nika, GoodyGoody23, xxpiratesxx, Dazzled1, lizziemcclure, FallenAngel5439, losingmyfaith, and LainieMichelle. _

Sorry about the evil cliffy!!

**Chapter 6 **

My heart pounded wildly against my chest, causing Perry to glance at me worriedly. But I did not care. Nothing mattered except this, except this certain person who was calling me now. My breath was caught in my throat as I heard the familiar, velvety voice,

"Bella! Where are you?"

The voice was panicked. Although I knew I should, I could not reply; instead, I let my tears roll down my cheeks. The dull pain that had been throbbing in my heart for one year came back alive, sharp and searing. The voice spoke again, this time much more urgent.

"Bella, listen to me! I know you're there. Please, listen to me."

I let out a broken sob,

"I am."

"Bella, where are you?"

Could I be imagining? My voice broke as I whispered,

"I don't know. I'm with Perry."

There was a brief pause.

"Who… is Perry?"

"A friend of yours, remember? Perry McFaul."

I heard his sharp intake of breath. His voice was furious as he said,

"I don't know who Perry is. Bella, get out of there."

To my sudden shock, a white hand flashed in front of me, and grabbed my cell phone from my hands. I stifled a shriek at the uncontrolled vampire power used against me. I stared at Perry with wide eyes, my head automatically shaking in disbelief as I heard what Perry was saying to… the person on the phone. Perry's voice was buttery smooth, slippery and malicious,

"Hello, this must be Edward."

Perry's face cracked up into a taunting smile as he admitted in an unapologetic tone,

"You're right. I am _not _Perry McFaul. How brilliant of you to have found out so quickly!"

I pushed myself against the leather seat, my fists clenched. I bit my lips and shook my head violently, the strawberry shampoo scent fluttering across the air. Perry's nose flared as he snarled into the phone,

"I would love to talk, but this is not the time. A tasty dinner is waiting."

I almost heard the wild snarl of Edward as he barked out threats over the phone, talking rapidly. Perry let out a malevolent laugh and shut the phone closed. He got out of the car and motioned me to follow. When I did not do to his bidding, he threatened me with a deadly glare. I had to buy time, and I couldn't die now. I had to wait… until he came. Perry smiled approvingly, but his eyes were cold. His eyes were… black…as he stared at me.

"We don't want anyone to bother this feast, do we?"

I dug my nails into my palms, my eyes growing wider every second. Perry had stopped the car now, and I realized that we were deep inside the forest. Where no one would find me.

"G…go away!"

Perry threw back his head and barked out a cruel, wicked laugh. He glared back at me, his eyes burning, midnight orbs. I almost felt his thirst rolling off him, his bloodlust as he gazed at my neck, hearing the pulse of my blood. Perry murmured,

"I am sure that you want to know how I did it? My story?"

My breathing became heavy and erratic as I shook my head violently. I didn't want to know. Perry smiled,

"Come now, I am sure you want to know. Where is the fun of not knowing and dying? Don't kill the sport for me. I would like to brag of my easy plan and how you fell for it…"

I stayed silent, my eyes glaring, horrified, into Perry's glowing onyx eyes.

"My name is not Perry McFaul. I morph into shapes that I imagine… it's my gift. As you will die soon, it won't hurt to show you my real form to you, would it?"

I gasped, paralyzed. My body started sharking as I watched Perry squeeze his eyes shut, his face looking pained and concentrated. My stomach churned as I watched his skin… melt. White goo, in the shape of clumps, rolled down his face, his chest, until it pooled at his feet. I winced as I stared into a blank face, void of eyes, nose, ears, or a mouth. Tufts of brown locks exploded and landed, like feathers, on top of the white puddle. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut and scream, but I was frozen in my spot. Even my heart seemed to have stopped as I saw his nose and eyes erupting, shoving, into the white stone. Perry twitched, but made no other noise or movement as his other physical features erupted from his blank face. Finally, a red eyed, beautiful monster stared at me, his lips spread into a smile.

Golden locks were tumbling down Perry's head and his eyes were burgundy.

"My name is Jonathon Bier. Or at least it was the name that I had when I was transformed."

I stood rigidly, my eyes as wide as plates as I stared into a completely different vampire's perfect face.

"Where to start… oh yes, I shall start with how you became my prey."

He paused here, chuckling at his choice of words. I gulped, creating another round of chuckles from Jonathon.

"You see, I visited a wonderful realm of Venerio lo Caravello, searching out new humans to feed on. When I entered, I smelled wonderful scent of freesia and flowers, very similar to yours. I immediately detected it was coming from the castle, and I killed the English ambassador, and transformed into his looks. I searched, in the form of the ambassador touring the king's castle, for the blood's owner. And I spotted her. She was standing in the cold, whispering 'Francesco does not love me, does he? Am I to be alone in this forlorn world without any love to console me, then?' It was quite amusing. But it was so perfect. There was to be a dance that very night, and of course the lady was to go.

"I crept into Francesco's quarters and killed him. When the dance started, I told the foolish king that I would be going outside for a breath of air. I then transformed into myself. And then I made the little princess believe that she was in love with me. Her blood was so delicious… and I was so disappointed that I would never be able to taste it ever again."

Jonathon revealed his pearly white teeth, his eyes amused.

"Until now, of course."

Jonathon shook his head in amusement, his silky, blonde hair gleaming even in the shadows of the forest. While Jonathon was muttering congratulatory statements to himself, I stared into the gloomy darkness of the trees, wondering if… _he _would come back for me. To save me.

"You know he won't find you here."

Jonathon's soft whisper burned into the air as I hung down my head in fear. To my surprise, I murmured back,

"I know."

A white, cold finger brushed against my neck, making me shiver in trepidation.

"Young, foolish love. Don't worry, I'll make this quick. It'll be painless, you'll see. You'll never have to suffer this anymore."

I shook my head, silently forgiving Edward. This was not his fault. It was mine. My heart nearly stopped as Jonathon crouched. I squeezed my eyes shut. _This is it. I love you, Edward. _

A ferocious growl caused a tremor into the brooding silence of the forest. I clenched my teeth together, getting ready for the blackness to envelope me… for forever.

Suddenly, I heard two bodies slam together, into each other. Then I heard it: it was a frightening sound, but I could not feel afraid. Instead, I felt waved of relief washing through my veins. A growl, musical and beautiful underneath its deadly warning.

It could only belong to him.

**I know, stupid chapter… It wasn't the best. But I had fun with explaining chapter 2 completely!! Yay! Please review… **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thanks so much for the reviews: xxPiratesxx, lizziemcclure, dary fairy79, Mis, theloserhobbs, losingmyfaith, and GoodyGoody23! _

_I am excluding all the gory details of Jonathon getting himself ripped up… so… I would like to apologize if you had been looking forward to that. Sorry if it's a little vague. _

_Lots of Love, _

_Blackjeans101 _

**Chapter 7 **

Snarls of anger and vicious growls drowned the pained yelping of Jonathon Bier. I groped around in the dark, stumbling on a dead branch, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Beads of cold sweat formed on my forehead as the savage, wild sounds echoed in the sinister grove of trees. My cold hands found a piece of rough bark as I supported myself against a tree.

I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lips as I heard the tearing of granite flesh. After what had seemed like hours, my skin detected a blazing fire searing the dry grass. My eyes flew open, relieved that it was over. And yet, it was the beginning of my pain.

"Bella! Are you alright?"

This was what I had been dreading. The beastly pain tore at my chest as the smoldering, topaz eyes of Edward stared into me worriedly. His face was angelic, his expression beautiful. I only nodded my head and quickly looked away.

"Let's get you home."

"I can drive."

A look of surprise fleeted across Edward's face.

"But… you don't have your car…"

"I can drive Jonathon's car. The key is still in there."

The astonishment turned into anger. His voice was hard and his eyes were scolding as he rebuked,

"Bella, you are in shock. There is no way that I will let you drive in this condition. Please, listen to me and get into my car."

My eyes darted towards Jasper and Emmett's shadows, beside Edward's Volvo. Still avoiding direct contact with him, I murmured,

"I… just need some thinking time."

Edward did not say anything; he gracefully walked to his Volvo, his expression unreadable. I turned my back on him, walking towards Jonathon's car. The engine purred, relaxing my rigid posture just a little bit. Edward turned his car away into the forest, driving slowly enough for me to follow. I knew it was hard for him to go so slow, but it was necessary. I wanted to be alone, to think about what had just happened.

Edward came back. That was the main thing that was in my mind. I didn't really care whether Jonathon was going to kill me or suck me dry; it was trivial compared to Edward's sudden return. I was actually thankful that Jonathon was going to kill me, since that was what had brought Edward back. I coughed slightly and squinted my eyes, staring into the silver trunk of Edward's Volvo, trying to concentrate on the happy future that we'd have from now on. _The silver trunk of Edward's Volvo._ My thoughts flew into the past, bringing up old, painful memories, ones that I had tried to suppress, the ones that gave me the dull, throbbing pain at night, when my subconscious mind wandered into the past.

**_Flashback: _**

_I swallowed, letting the pain travel down my throat slowly. My teeth clenching, I leaned my back unto a snow covered trunk of Edward's Volvo. My body was numb to the cold as I clarified with a hollow echo to my voice, _

_"You can't do this to me. You said you loved me, Edward." _

_Edward's mourning, topaz eyes were suddenly staring into my face intently. My heart did a little flutter as he whispered, his pleasant breath hanging like a cloud at my nose, _

_"I do love you, Bella. You know with all your heart that I do. We stayed at one place for too long. It is now time for us to move on." _

**_End flashback _**

A hot tear involuntarily sprang to my eye, creating a sting in my eyes and nose. Edward's words were shadows of my past pain, drifting into every thought, every feeling that I had.

"Bella."

A soft whisper interrupted my agony. I quickly raised up a hand to wipe away the single tear and looked up to Edward's face, staring at me through the window. We had stopped at my house. I nodded and pushed open the door. Edward's Volvo was missing.

"Where is your car?"

"Jasper and Emmett took it. I wanted to stay with you."

I looked down and bit my lips, my heart soaring with happiness yet feeling heavy with slight dread.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

There was a brief silence.

"Bella."

This time, his voice was pleading and soft. I looked up to see Edward's heartbreaking look, and I quickly turned my head away.

"Bella, I _want _to be with you."

I searched for words, but nothing came. Finally, I nodded got to the door. When I turned the doorknob, a groan automatically escaped my lips. Charlie was sitting on the kitchen chair, his arms folded and his brows knitted together angrily. A flush of red was in his neck and cheeks, and his eyes were angry.

"Where have you been?"

"Um, hanging out."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up at my statement.

"And whose car is _that_?"

His finger was accusingly pointing at the fancy sports car. Obviously, no one in Forks owned such an expensive car.

"It's my friend's car."

Charlie slowly got up from the chair and stared at the car. It wasn't leaving. I silently thanked heaven that Charlie was not a vampire and therefore he could not hear the thumping beating of my heart. The obvious and dreaded question followed,

"So… why isn't it leaving?"

"Um, he wants to make sure that I am in my house safely."

Charlie's face whipped around to face mine.

"_He_?"

I knew what he was thinking: _My daughter is going to sneak out in the middle of the night with this new boyfriend of hers. _I sighed and turned my back on Charlie, getting ready to go up the stairs.

"Dad, I'm not going to sneak out if that's what you're thinking."

Suddenly, I heard the purr of the parked car coming to life. Charlie looked surprised as me as we watched the car back out of the driveway and into the blackness of the night. Trying to hide the trembling relief, I said,

"You see, dad? I'm not sneaking out."

Charlie's deadly expression softened a bit.

"Ok, Bella, but I do not want you to come home this late with… with a _boy _without telling me."

"Sure dad, sorry about that."

"Goodnight, Bells."

"Night, dad."

Relieved, I trudged upstairs and retreated into my bedroom, shutting the door gently.

"Hello."

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I whirled around and saw Edward's lovely face peering into mine in the darkness. My hand crawled along the cool walls until I found the light switch. Golden light flooded into the bedroom, and I whispered softly,

"Thanks for helping me back there. For saving my life from Jonathon and Charlie."

Edward chuckled humorlessly as I plopped down on my bed beside him, still a little cautious. I traced my finger along my faded quilt as Edward's topaz eyes watched me closely. After a long silence, I whispered,

"Why did you come back?"

Edward sighed as he sat on the computer stool, looking gloomy. I ignored this and continued tracing a pattern unto the quilt.

"Alice… had a vision that someone was hunting for you. And that you were… _attracted _to him, and he was luring you into a trap..."

Edward trailed off, his eyes looking distant. I quickly took advantage of this little pause and explained myself,

"I wasn't attracted to him, I was curious."

Edward shot me a dark glance as he murmured,

"Curiosity killed the cat."

I cleared my throat and reminded him that he should continue with his story.

"I didn't want to go, really. And… I didn't leave because of the amounting age and suspicion, actually. I left because… I had to think about us. Our relationship. It would've been more real and less painful if I took my whole family along and it wasn't about our love. I didn't want to cause you so much pain."

I turned my head away from him and let a tear roll down my cheeks. At once, Edward was by my side, wiping my tears away with his gentle hands. I couldn't control myself then. I broke into an uncontrollable sob, burying my face into Edward's chest. His hands stroked my hair as he whispered,

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a monster. To cause you so much pain. For making a mistake."

I shook my head and murmured with a broken voice,

"No, Edward. It's not your fault at all."

There was a silence as we quietly sat, embracing each other. Edward's voice was dry as he murmured,

"Bella, there is something else I need to tell you."

"What is it? You can tell me anything."

There was a period of silence. My heart started to beat faster, and Edwards's cool fingers stroked my cheeks to calm me.

"While I was gone…"

His voice faltered, as if he could not bring himself to say what I had asked him to tell me. I put my warm hand on his neck, and he closed his eyes. I whispered,

"Tell me."

Edward took a deep breath and said,

"While I was gone, I realized that I was too weak. That I was putting you into danger by being with you, and…"

He sighed and continued,

"And… I decided that... the best thing for you is for me to…"

I shook my head in disbelief, expecting Edward to say that he was going to leave again.

"Edward, if you leave again, then you'll be putting me into danger than when I am with you."

Edward smiled without humor. He shook his head and sighed. He stared at his hands and whispered,

"Bella, I decided to change you."

**Review review review!!! Thank you!!!! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thank you for the reviews: Bella Mason, FallenAngel5439, theloserhobbs, dary fairy79, Ange de l'eau, Miss Suicide-x, Anna, Asquared91, checkerball, GoodyGoody23, Twilight lover, and 1stepbehind29. You all are just too kind!! _

_Love you all, _

_Blackjeans101 _

**Chapter 8 **

My eyes grew wide, and it felt as if my lips were glued together. I was totally dumbfounded as Edward did not look up from his hands, shaking his head as if he had said something shameful. He sighed and slowly lifted his head, gazing at my eyes with his topaz gems sparkling from a deep, clear pool. I tried to clear up what he had just said, searching for the right words. I choked,

"I… Edward… you…."

Edward sighed heavily and twined his fingers together. He broke away from his gaze and whispered,

"Everything started to become so much painfully clearer. It was as if the plain truth had been there all along, and I was looking at the blurry picture, only getting a slight perception of what will come. You had kept saying that you would get old and pass on, and I told you back that I would follow soon after. But… it was just hard, thinking about it. I knew that you'd be unhappy and even uncomfortable, knowing that I would be forever young while you became old and wrinkled. Even self conscious, I suppose. And then, even if you did leave me behind, and I did turn to my contingency plans, I just felt so selfish for letting down my whole family, especially Carlisle, just because my life would become worse than Hell without you. I would cause so much pain to everyone who knew me…"

He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his temples, and I could feel the waves of distress flooding from him. I leaned toward him and touched his cheek with my finger, whispering,

"I wouldn't like it, knowing that you wouldn't be here still… even if I did die."

Edward shook his head and did not say anything. We sat in silence, each thinking deep and painful thoughts of our own.

"Bella, I'm sorry."

Edward's musical and pained murmur gently broke our peaceful yet agonizing stillness.

"For what, Edward?"

"For ever letting you fall in love with me."

I became angry.

"What do you mean? How many times do I have to tell you? You're the best thing that had ever happened to me, and you'd better not feel sorry for giving me such a wonderful gift… of being with you."

"Think about it. If I did change you, you would have to let go of your… your _life. _It wouldn't ever be the same again."

"It doesn't matter. If it did, then I would have run screaming in the first place when you told me that you were a vampire."

I paused, and whispered,

"I let go of my normal life ages ago."

Edward nodded slowly, as if taking in what I had said as the painful truth. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me towards him. I willingly complied, breathing in his heady scent. His beautiful voice murmured into my ear,

"Bella, are you sure? I can leave your life forever if you ask me to."

"I'm positive, Edward."

"Are you ready?"

I shivered and choked out a hoarse,

"Yes."

Edward leaned his head towards me and started to kiss my neck. I waited patiently while his cool lips pressed against my jaw, then cheeks. Finally, I whispered,

"What are you doing?"

Edward grinned crookedly in between his kisses and murmured,

"I'm not changing you yet, silly. You need to get through high school. It's easier that way."

"How so?"

"Well, if I change you, you'd still need to live with Charlie, and he'll get a bit suspicious of your diet… human foods are quite disgusting, you know. Then there's that schoolhouse full of children, and you're required to attend school by the federal law. It'll be hard to resist so much blood, you know."

"Ok. But promise not to change your mind."

Edward leaned his face away from me and lay down on my bed comfortably. He stared at the ceiling and murmured,

"I make no such promises."

I was shocked. Great, he told me that he would change me and now he is 'making no such promises.' How was I to be happy that he finally decided he was going to bite me… maybe or maybe not?

"Edward, but you said-"

"Time changes, Bella, and to stand up to such a dangerous promise is not in the best interest for me, but most importantly, for you."

"So… you're not going to change me?"

"I did not say that."

I sighed and twirled a brown lock of hair. I said with a frustrated note in my voice,

"But what do you mean by all this? I'm confused."

Edward got up from the bed and leaned against the cool walls, his face staring into mine.

"Bella, it's like this. I am going to change you, as long as the situation does not change. For example, what if I have to leave? Or you don't want me after graduation?"

"There's no chance that either of those things are going to happen."

Edward murmured,

"I hope so, Bella. Time will tell."

There was another moment of silence.

"Bella, it's time to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes and tucked myself into the faded quilt. After some time, I whispered,

"Edward, sing me my lullaby."

Edward smirked and kneeled beside me. His voice was soft and divine as he sang the gentle sweet melody. I sighed in content and closed my eyes peacefully. Before letting sleep envelope me entirely, my words came out in a slur,

"I love you, Edward. I'll love you forever."

"Yes, Bella. Forever."

**Do you think I should end the story now? It has the perfect ending, and it's excellent for the imagination to carry on after here. It's an happy ending… if you want me to (or not) please review and tell me **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Special thank you for my wonderful and kind reviewers: Bella Mason, LaTuaCantante143, 1stepbehind29, theloserhobbs, checkerball, twiligh8ec, GoodyGoody23, Dazzled1, lizziemcclure, Asquared91, and losingmyfaith. Thank you so much for the compliments and the good advice! _

_Due to the wonderful amount of reviews and advice, I decided to continue my story until the way end… Thank you once again! _

_And I would also like to add a little note here about the story: I have never been to China and therefore I cannot describe with full appreciation for its beauty and culture, and I would like to apologize beforehand if my description is offending. I know that China is a wonderful place and I would love to go there, but I also know that it is one of the most populated and filled with large cities. _

_Blackjeans101 _

**Chapter 9 **

Surely one year was an inexpensive price to pay compared to the eternity that awaited me. However, I grew more anxious and excited as months flew by like days, making me more impatient and yearning for the climax of my life. When Edward sensed this change in me, he gloomily remarked,

"It's like one of those experiences, when you want something so much, and you wait for it… and when it comes, you find it as nothing of the extraordinary, and rather disappointing."

I rolled my eyes and got into Edward's Volvo. It was after school, and we had a week off. I wanted to use the week as valuably as I could. As I clicked on my seatbelt, I mused,

"If I am going to change, then what is the point of doing homework and getting good grades? I mean, I'll have all eternity to learn it over again."

Edward shrugged and grinned. However, his statement was dark,

"There is no guarantee that you're going to be changed, Bella. You might as well be prepared for it if it doesn't come."

I knew that Edward hated talking about changing me, and so I dropped the topic.

"Tomorrow is Saturday. Do you have anything planned for us to do?"

Edward looked surprised. He glanced at me with the corners of his eyes, which were narrowed.

"Did Alice say anything?"

I tipped my head over and shook my head innocently.

"What do you mean?"

Edward flashed a grin, satisfied. He gave me a mischievous smile and said,

"You will see what I have in store for you."

I frantically searched for an excuse or threat in telling me the surprise.

"Ok, Alice did tell me."

Edward chuckled and asked with a skeptical look on his face,

"And what did she say?"

I hunted in my brain for a clever remark.

"Um… she said that I wasn't supposed to tell you that she told me. But I know now so you can tell me all about your little plan."

Edward smirked and kept driving. I noticed that we were going way too far to be at my house or at Edward's. I raised my eyebrows and asked,

"Where are we going?"

He looked at me with a crooked grin and said,

"I thought you'd like to go to Port Angeles for some books."

I smiled. I had managed to get Edward to tell me the surprise after all.

"Thanks, I was planning on doing this."

After about ten minutes, Edward stopped the car and helped me out. His grabbed my hand gently and strode down to the airport, keeping near the shadows.

"Why are we going to the airport?"

"Because there are some books I wanted you to see at the airport. There are several good bookstores in the airport, you know."

I nodded and complied. As long as we were going to a bookstore, I really didn't care where the bookstore was. I severely needed to stock up on some of Jane Austen's novels. Edward smiled and entered into the vast airport, his topaz eyes shining with amusement. I ignored this and kept walking. Suddenly, I saw the Cullens sitting on the little benches, looking as glorious as ever. They were smiling as they watched Edward and me walk near them, their hands on their mountains of bags. I opened my mouth in shock and stammered,

"Um… what… what is going on?"

Emmett let out a booming laugh, and some of the girls behind us giggled. I felt a twinge of anger as one girl with jet black hair stared at Edward with glee. I ignored all this entirely and focused my attention on Emmett. He laughed,

"We're going to China!"

I nearly fell flat on my face in shock. China? Edward grinned and held me up.

"Edward, I thought we were going to a _bookstore_!"

Edward shrugged and chuckled,

"And I said that I had a surprise for you."

"But… but…"

Alice hopped off from her bench and hugged me tightly.

"Oh, come on, Bella! This will be so much fun!"

"But… Charlie and…"

Esme patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"We already consulted with Charlie, dear. There is no need to worry."

"I also have no clothes…"

Alice laughed delightedly. She hopped over to the mountain of baggage and grinned with a smirk on her little pixie like face,

"I went shopping for you!"

I bit my lips and hung down my head in embarrassment.

"Thank you so much. You shouldn't have spent so much money on me…"

I managed to throw a dirty look at Edward in between my shameful complexion.

"You promised nothing expensive, Edward."

His angelic face was overcome with an innocent look. He chuckled and put a hand on my waist. He leaned down his head and whispered,

"I did not."

"Come on, we'd better get going."

Jasper looked at his watch and nodded in agreement to Carlisle's comment. We all stood to go and the Cullens started to walk to Gate 57. I was about to follow when Edward grabbed my arm gently. He murmured,

"I want you to behave, please."

I nodded.

Edward flashed me a brilliant smile and held my hand. We sat on the airplane seats and noticed that we had first class seats. I looked in wonder at all of the little accessories and the luxuries that the first class seats offered, in comparison to the common seats at the back of the airplane. It was amazing how different the services were, considering that they were in the same plane.

Edward must've noticed my marveling because he laughed quietly to himself. Although I knew it wouldn't hurt, I jabbed my elbow in his ribs. He cringed in mock pain and continued to laugh. I rolled my eyes and watched as we ascended into the clouds.

It had been a long time, and all my muscles felt frozen and stiff. I stretched my legs and yawned as the plane started to descend. Edward leaned down and started to kiss my neck with his perfect, icy lips. I wanted him to go on, but I flapped my hand in his face. I mumbled,

"And _you_ told me to behave."

Edward laughed softly and kissed my cheeks. I blushed as Edward whispered,

"But you make me forget how to behave so well."

"Come on, you two, are you planning on sitting here all day?"

I noticed that the people were filing out of the airplane. Edward laughed and responded,

"Sorry, Esme."

Outside, it was chilly and foggy. Of course, the perfect day: Alice must've seen this coming. We grabbed a taxi and got in. The taxi driver, ogled at Rosalie, his eyes wide with wonder at the Cullens' beauty. The driver's accent was quite heavy as he asked,

"Where to?"

Alice, of course being fluent in Chinese (and most likely every language of the world, as she had centuries to learn them), responded much to the driver's continuous amazement, the address of the hotel. The driver nodded and swerved into the main street. Every road was crammed with cars, people, and bicycles. Jasper was looking as if he had frozen into a statue, since he was not breathing. The sounds were smell were overwhelming as they stormed into the small taxi like a hurricane. I held my head in my hands, groaning from a slight headache. I knew it was ungrateful of me, but I had to ask,

"Edward, are we there yet?"

Edward wrapped me with his arms, concerned. He murmured,

"What's the matter, Bella?"

"Nothing…"

But it wasn't "nothing." I sat in silence, my head on Edward's lap. I felt nauseous, and I felt heat arise from my cheeks. My very bones were shivering, and my hair felt limp on my head. When I closed my eyes, my eyelids felt as if they were scorching my eyes. It was horrible. Finally, I ignored the searing sensation and drifted off to a reddish black sleep with no dreams.

"Bella, Bella."

From the feverish heat, I heard Edward's soothing voice near my ear. I croaked,

"Yes?"

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't know."

I realized that I was lying down.

"Where am I?"

"We're at the hotel."

I felt as if I was blushing profusely, except there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

His cool fingers brushed against my cheeks, soothing the heat yet making me shiver. Every touch, every particle of air, felt as if they were digging through my flesh and gnawing at my bones. Edward took away his hand and murmured something incoherent to another person in the room. Everything was blurry, so I just closed my eyes.

"Bella, how many fingers am I holding up?"

I reluctantly opened my eyes and saw pale fingers in front of my face.

"Um… three?"

Edward gasped and started to mutter something very fast. I sighed,

"Don't worry. It's just a passing fever."

Carlisle shook his head.

"Edward, I want you to hand me my medical bag."

I stifled a gasp as cold metal touched my back. Carlisle's voice was very worried and tense.

"Edward… this is quite serious. Bella seems to be suffering from a severely malignant hyperpyrexia."

Hyper… what? By Edward's voice and shock, he must've understood.

"But Carlisle, there must be some medicine to cure this."

"Yes… there is. We'll see what we can do."

"We must take her home as well."

"Not in this condition, though Edward."

I hoarsely whispered,

"No, no, please, don't be worried about me. I'm so sorry for ruining your vacation."

Carlisle's voice was light and fatherly as he responded,

"There is nothing to apologize for, Bella. Nothing at all."

I would've blushed if I was not blushing so much already. I felt my face and chest as red as tomatoes as I sighed in pain and abashment. Carlisle's voice seemed faraway as he murmured,

"Bella, please sleep now."

Perhaps it was Edward's voice. Or Jasper's? I could not be sure as I was deaf and blinded by the extreme heat. Without further resistance, I closed my eyes.

I was drifting in an endless black vacuum, always searching, searching for something and feeling a sense of yearning deep within my heart. However, the world seemed to scrunch up and feel so tiny that I could not breathe when I began to feel a little comfortable. For days, or perhaps weeks – I lost count – it was living Hell.

I only sought for the angelic voice to bring me out of this trance, to rescue me from the evil depths of my fate, but I was always surrounded my silence. Deafening silence.

It seemed as if I was dreaming, to be feeling so many pain with numbness.

Or perhaps I was dead.

**This chapter did not turn as well as I wanted it to… sigh… but I hope it was at least tolerable. Please review… I promise the next chapters will be better. Or at least I'll try and keep my promise. I hate being in writing blocks, don't you? I am just void of ideas. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thank you to: BluvsE4everandever-xoxo, Emmleelicious rocks the cathouse, LaTuaCantante143, lizziemcclure, dary fairy79, xxPiratesxx, marie, Twilight Lover, Seabloo, Asquared91 (and also for giving me ideas), 1stepbehind29, XXXLOvE siCk vAMpiReXXX, hopless4u, fallenangel5439, tHE tRUtH Is nEVeR PrETtY, iheartEdward, GoodyGoody23, .JayyIsMee._, _and losingmyfaith. Thank you so much! You all are just so nice!! _

**_This chapter will be in Edward's POV _**

**Chapter 10 **

"It's no use, Edward. You must change her now."

Carlisle was shaking his head and sliding in the medications inside a black bag. His voice was flat and sounded hard to me, even cruel. My eyes flickered toward Bella's red and pained figure. She was scarlet and burning up. Her whimpers caused me great agony, shredding my insides mercilessly. My head repeated calmly, _she will recover. You know she will. Bella will recover. _I shook my head and said to Carlisle, trying to sound clear and precise,

"I can't, Carlisle. I won't. To take away her life now… she needs to get done with high school. She didn't even say goodbye to anyone she knows. She'll have to isolate herself in order to control her bloodlust. I can't do this to her!"

The last sentence trembled, much to my dislike. A sigh escaped from Alice's small lips. She frowned and grabbed my wrist, with much force.

"Edward, please listen. She's _dying._"

I shook my head in disbelief. My beautiful, lovely Bella with her flushing cheeks and musical voice was so full of life that she couldn't die. Angels can't die; it's impossible. My shy, selfless Bella. No, no, impossible. Carlisle rested his cool, compassionate hand on my shoulder.

"Even if she does recover, she'll most likely be blind or deaf, even both, by the results of the high and abnormal bodily heat."

Carlisle withdrew his hand from my shoulder and went back to zip up his black bag. His back was to me as he murmured,

"It's either Bella dies, becomes deaf and blind, or that you change her. Everything is in your hands."

The last statement came crashing down upon my head like falling bricks. Everything. Bella, her happiness, her life. Everything was in my unworthy, filthy hands.

"Carlisle, I… can we wait?"

He shook his head sadly.

"No. It must be done now. I can hear her heart slowing drastically."

Esme's calm, loving voice was pleading as she whispered,

"Please, Edward. Allow this to happen."

Alice's voice was panicked as she screamed,

"Edward! Do it now!"

Even I could hear it. I didn't need to recall the years of medical school to know that Bella was slowly fading away from me. Her body was starting to slow after the fast and frantic movements to keep alive. Now she was tired. She had given up; she was dying.

My hands trembled as I stared into the beautiful, human face of my Bella. There would be no more blushing, no more warmth. _But remember, Edward. You decided to change Bella months ago. Why do you take back your word now, when she needs you? _Alice's voice was ringing in my head. She was right. Why should I abandon Bella now? I was going to do this… But not like this. No, I didn't want to tear her away so abruptly from the world, to change her without her knowing. What if she didn't love me after what I have done to her? What if she would've said 'no' at the last minute? I was taking away all these chances, to lure her into an evil life without her last, sure consent.

"Edward, please hurry."

Carlisle's voice was colored with worry as he thought about Bella's slowing heartbeat. _Please say that he's going to change her. _Carlisle turned around from his stare of the medical bag and looked at me. His eyebrows were knitted together as he thought, _Edward. It's now or never. Please. _I stared into Carlisle's fatherly, gentle face. Slowly, I turned around and looked at each member of my family, their thoughts either expressing concern for Bella or me. Their faces were worried and distressed, peering into my eyes gravely, their thoughts in unison, _Change her Edward. _I could not delay any longer. This was my life. This was her destiny.

"I'll change her."

There were sighs of relief and happy yet serious thoughts. Carlisle strode beside Bella and stared into my face.

"Shall I…?"

"No."

My voice was adamant and grave. This was my choice, and I would do it. Rosalie's voice was barely a whisper,

"Let Carlisle do it. We don't know if you can stop."

The words stung my dead heart as they escaped from Rosalie's lips. I tried not to tremble as I neared Bella's bedside.

"I can do this."

Could I? My brain screamed insults at me, spitting with fury and nervousness. My flesh tingled with fear, somehow saying that I could not do this. But I had done it before. _With James's venom mixed inside. _This time, I would lower my teeth to her pain pulse, fresh and young. I gently held Bella's burning flesh in my hands, trembling. Yet, deep inside, I felt the passion burn inside me. I could overcome this monster inside me, stomp the blood thirsty beast dwelling in my heart. I had to. For Bella.

**I know, short chapter… but it was a transition so... yeah. Anyways, review please! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

**Chapter 11 **

There can be nothing in the world that could bring me more agony than watching my Bella transform. Nothing.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thank you to all those who reviewed! Thank you so much! I had reached 105 reviews… I have never even dreamt of having so many reviews… thank you a million times! _

_Ok, about that last chapter, sorry about the length, but shortness sometimes brings forth a more powerful message, don't you think? _

_It will now be in Bella's POV _

**Chapter 12 **

Numbness. I was covered from head to toe with the dull, frustrating feeling. Yet, despite the attempt that my body was making to break out of the black waters of the deaden senses, I felt relieved. The moment that my eyes had last closed, I remembered the tearing sensation of pain, crawling through every inch of my body. It seemed that it was lasting for forever, never ending and refusing to stop. Now, it was just felt as if my soul had left and I was a crumpled shell, too tired, or perhaps too apathetic to wake up and feel any tingling feelings of life.

As I felt myself drift along the airy waters, I remembered wondering to myself if I was dead. Was I now? I wouldn't know. I have never been dead before, and this certainly was a new sensation. Would I be drifting in these calm waters by myself for all eternity, an empty shell without feelings?

I tried to wiggle around, trying to move my heavy limbs to make myself _feel something. Anything. _However, it felt as if my arms and legs were bound together by invisible yet the most powerful ropes in the world. Even my eyelids would not open.

Then I heard it. The sweet melody was drifting into the air, surrounding me. It was so familiar, embedded deeply into my heart. I remembered the soothing lullaby very well, one that had cuddled me to sleep and gave me peace, in the arms of that perfect person. I recalled his icy arms protectively shielding me against all evils of the world, his smile, the sun of my life. I tried to gasp out his name, to pry open the metal gates that were my lips, to break through from the numbing sensations. I made moaning noises, but I could not open my mouth to speak.

"Bella?"

The melody had stopped, but another, more beautiful music began.

"Bella, you are awake! Bella, how do you feel?"

From faraway, I heard a calm voice speak,

"Let her sleep, Edward."

No, please don't let me go back deeper into the black vacuum. I wanted to scream, _Shake me, and tell me that I can feel! Tell me that I am wholly alive! Wake me! _

"Carlisle, she seems to be telling us something. Look, her lips are moving alittle."

_Yes, I can't move. Please don't leave me now. _I was gaining more consciousness by the minute and I began to detect fine vibrations of the room.

"Yes, Edward. I see it too."

I felt a slight movement as someone sat by me. As I became more conscious, I felt the silky touch of the bed beneath me.

"Bella, can you hear me?"

I wanted to answer to Carlisle's voice, but I could not. Instead, I let out a slow grunting noise.

"You'll feel more awake as time passes."

He was right. As time slowly dragged on, I could eventually feel the warm breeze of the air swirl around me, and could lift my arms. Taking a deep breath, I fluttered my eyelids open. The first face that I saw was who I was wishing to see when I woke up. A small smile crept up my lips.

"Edward."

His face was unsmiling as he whispered,

"Bella, how do you feel?"

"I feel fine, but I can't sit up. Help me."

"No, you need to rest."

I protested with all the strength that I could muster,

"I don't want to rest."

A hand gripped mine and helped me to sit up. I leaned my back against the wall and stared at my surroundings. Every member of the Cullen family were either sitting on the wooden chairs or staring at me with worried eyes. I was surprised that I could even see Rosalie's concern.

"Where… am I?"

"You're in China, remember?"

The memory was hazy, but I could still remember.

"What happened to me?"

There was a sickening pause.

"You're one of us now, Bella."

It was Jasper who spoke. He gazed at me with somewhat frightened eyes, as if I was going to react to it badly.

"I'm… a vampire?"

"Yes."

I turned my head to see Edward leaning against a wall, his arms folded. His eyebrows were knitted together and his face looked as if it was carved from stone. He looked almost… angry.

"Edward?"

Suddenly, I saw the Cullens disappear. Had I been human, I would have not seen their quick motions to slip out of the room. It seemed almost as if they were frightened of me, not knowing how to react to my behaviors. I turned my head and stared at Edward, his eyes away from me.

I whispered softly,

"What is the matter?"

He sighed and put his arms by his side. His head still away from my direction, he murmured,

"I don't want to see you like this. It's so painful… to see you as one of me."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought that it would be alright, I would get over you being one of… one of my kind, but this is all so sudden."

I whispered,

"You think that I'm a monster?"

I was expecting a flurry of 'no' and angry outbursts of 'what are you talking about?' from Edward. However, there was a sickening pause. I sat on the bed, my eyes almost drilling holes into him. He sighed and shook his head.

"No, I don't think that _you're _the monster. You'll never be a monster."

He finally turned his head and looked at me, for a brief second, then quickly darted his eyes away. When he had looked into my eyes, he looked sad, wistful, and… regretful. Realization struck me, as if a metal hand slapped me right across my face. My voice was barely audible as I murmured,

"You would have rather let me die."

He was staring intently at the wall above my head as if it had some hidden secret. His mouth was set into a slight frown, as so were his eyes. The silence frightened me, but I held the quietness, patiently waiting for Edward to speak. I was grateful that my heart did not run any longer, because if it did, it would've been pounding like mad. Trying as hard as I could, I kept my face calm and unaffected by his lack of explanation. However, it was slicing my chest slowly, digging its nails down my cold flesh as the silence dragged on.

An hour could have passed. I wasn't sure, as I was still keeping my eyes on Edward. Finally, I sighed and hung down my head. Slowly, I got up from my bed and glided over to the door. . Had I been paying attention to my new vampire senses, I would have marveled at the lack of clumsiness that I could now move with. However, I was not; my main focus was on the door and Edward. I needed to go. I could not stand being in this room, to be inflicted with so much pain. As I grabbed the door knob, Edward's cool fingers grasped at my wrist. He rapidly turned me around and breathed,

"No. That is not true, Bella. I would never want to see you die. I am just so… so sorry for doing this to you. You will see what I mean as time passes."

I was now sharp in my senses and could feel, hear and see everything around me. I almost regretted it, as I could acutely feel the pain tearing through my chest. I searched my brain for something to say. I stared at Edward's face, searching for a hidden meaning, what he was really saying. However, I did not have to anymore.

"Would you have agreed to be changed if you had consciousness while you were ill? Or perhaps when you had graduated from high school?"

He leaned his face closer to mine, and his nose was almost touching mine, and I could feel the electricity of his body sparking flames across mine. He continued,

"Would you have given your consent in turning to a dark life, to abandon your human innocence and live all eternity in the same, dull earth forever? To hide from the human curiosity, to be torn away from your family? Would you have allowed it?"

I stared into his topaz eyes, and he eventually let go of his grip on my wrist. He shrunk back and shook his head.

"Now that you've changed, of course you regret it. It is only natural."

He murmured,

"Forgive me, Bella."

I put a hand on his chest and whispered,

"Edward."

He did not respond.

"Edward, I do not regret it. An eternity of what you have described is _a miniscule _price to pay if it means an eternity with you. I have told you a thousand times already, but I think you need to hear this again. And don't you dare forget it."

I paused and stared into his beautiful face.

"I am, and always will be, forever in love with you. Forever."

He gave me a small smile and slipped his hands around my waist. I rose up to kiss him, but he gently pressed an icy finger on my cold lips. His smile widened and he whispered,

"If you give me anymore happiness, I will overflow and explode."

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I whispered,

"We'll never know until we try."

I ignored his little chuckle and pressed my lips against his.

It was the most passionate kiss that we've ever shared.

The happiest.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

_Thank you so much to all those who had reviewed! I really don't deserve all the nice reviews that I had received! _

**Chapter 13 **

"Now that you are one of us, I feel it necessary to tell you all the things about being a vampire."

Edward winced beside me and I slid a hand above his. The Cullens were seated on the chairs in the hotel, their faces happy and content. Carlisle continued,

"You are already familiar with our… tendency to be attracted to human blood. It will especially become hard for you, after the blood inside you is gone. The difficulty of resisting blood is something we all understand, but we must do everything that is in our power to stop it. It is up to you to decide what we should do."

"What do you suggest?"

"Well…"

Carlisle darted his eyes toward the window, his face glum.

"I am sure that you can smell the blood of the people right now, can't you?"

The sweet scent drifted into my nose, but I could resist it. I was not thirsty.

"I can."

Rosalie inquired,

"But what shall we do, Carlisle, when she becomes thirsty?"

Esme strode to the chair that I was sitting on and put a loving hand on my shoulder. Her words stung my eye, and had I been human, they would've brought tears.

"Bella is one of our family members now. I am sure that each one of us here is willing to give up any comforts or familiarity to help her adjust."

I choked,

"Thank you."

Alice danced her way up to me and wrapped her arms around me.

"It's so nice to have you as a sister! I've always wanted it, ever since I have seen it."

She threw a strange look at Edward, who ignored her entirely. He had pulled his hand away from mine and was folding his arms. Emmett spoke,

"We can't delay any longer. We must decide now."

Edward snorted,

"That is very ingenious of you to observe, Emmett. I am sure that isn't one of the reasons why we aren't sitting here instead of heading back home."

Emmett snarled, exposing his teeth angrily. Carlisle said sternly,

"Edward! Emmett! I will not have you insulting each other while we need to cooperate! Please, settle down."

Edward threw Emmett a dirty glare and went back to his aloof stance. Carlisle sighed and continued,

"Bella, we can't afford to bring you back to Forks, or any other populated place. I'm sorry, but I strongly believe that it is important for you to get away from humans for awhile. It is vital for you to learn your powers first, so that you can control them amongst humans."

I slowly nodded.

"Yes, I think that you're right. And… I don't think it's really necessary for all of you to follow me. I can be by myself, to learn these things. I really don't want to bother you…"

"No. I will go with you if my family is not."

I turned my head to see Edward scowling at me, his eyes black. I scowled at him back, my eyes unwavering, refusing to break the angry glare between us. Finally, I said,

"There is no harm in being by myself. There can be nothing to hurt me. Besides, you'll become the center of suspicion in Forks."

Rosalie inserted,

"She's right. We have maintained our good reputation in one place and we can't be moved. It is utterly unspeakable."

Edward growled, his eyes still on me,

"Rosalie!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Rosalie shrug.

"It is only logical. Everyone will become suspicious and we will bring attention to ourselves if we all suddenly disappear with Bella. Charlie is the head of the police department, we must remember."

"I can go to Alaska for some time, feeding on animals. When the time is right, I will join you."

Alice piped in,

"It'll only take a year or two, you know."

Edward finally broke away from my stare. He turned his head slowly to Alice, his voice low,

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"Do you know why she can resist the blood of the people right now?"

I immediately answered,

"It's because I'm not thirsty."

Alice shook her small head, a small smile on her lips.

"No, Bella. You can resist the blood right now because the characteristic that came with you is unselfishness. You can resist the selfish desire to sate your thirst. That is why it'll take less time for you to resist blood very well, perhaps as well as we can."

I felt a surge of disappointment flood through my veins, causing Jasper to look at me quizzically. His eyebrows were raised as he asked softly,

"What is the matter?"

I hung down my head, a bit ashamed.

"Well… there are two reasons why I feel disappointed. One is that I sort of wanted to figure it out by myself and the other…"

Everyone's lips were twitching as I said,

"Well, I wanted some… real power, you know, like Edward's, instead of something so subtle."

Carlisle chuckled lightly and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Who knows? Perhaps this unselfishness of yours will bring the sort of power that you want, Bella. We must wait and see."

I smiled and nodded.

"I hope so. Not that your power is anything less…"

Carlisle shook his head.

"But I must admit that Alice's, Jasper's and Edward's powers are quite… what young teens call these days… cool."

We all laughed at that statement, and enjoyed the surge of warmth flooding through the room. This was how it felt like, being a family. It has been hard for me to comprehend this, since my mother and father had been divorced and I've never had a 'real' family, consisting of so many siblings and parents who loved each other. It was warm and happy. Carlisle interrupted my thoughts,

"Come, we must now head back to Forks."

"Carlisle, wait. I'm going with Bella."

Edward stood with his hand resting on my shoulder, his face adamant. Carlisle nodded,

"Yes, Edward. I understand. The rest of us, however, must be heading back to Forks."

I stood up as well.

"But what would the others say when Edward is gone with me?"

Alice smiled wickedly.

"Leave everything to me, Bella."

I nodded and smiled in return. The Cullens trooped out, one by one. However, Alice lingered behind and hugged me before going. She fished in her pocket and extracted two plane tickets.

"Enjoy yourself in the jungles of Africa."

I laughed.

"Of course! You saw how the conversation was going to end."

Alice smiled and danced out the door gracefully, leaving only Edward and me behind. For the first time, I felt a little awkward, after everyone had left. Edward strode to the small bags and grabbed them easily. He turned to me, his eyes smoldering. He smiled, flashing his pearly teeth.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded slowly, my eyes twinkling.

And so began the adventures between Edward and me.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.

Thanks one thousand times to all those who had reviewed!

_Thank you for the reviews: iheartEdward, losingmyfaith, Asquared91, FallenAngel5439, dary fairy79, vampire-lover-chica, GoodyGoody23, Emmleelicious rocks the catbox, xxpiratesxx, Twilight lover, vampiresrock, TotalVampire-holic, twilight8ec, theloserhobbs, .JayyIsMee., Twilight Fay, CLfev, Bella Mason,_ _vampire-lover-chica__ and ridiculouskopec. _

****

**Chapter 14 **

"Alice said that we'd be hunting in _jungles _not in the middle of the desert! Anyone can see us here, being so exposed and right in the middle of the sun!"

I was fuming, my hands waving around. Edward shrugged and continued to watch the cheetahs with narrowed eyes, smiling. I could see the small movement of his lips, waiting for the right time to attack. Although I felt the wild bloodlust clawing at my throat, I could not afford to let Edward or myself to relax in this situation. I rolled my eyes,

"If you want to compare your speed with the cheetahs, can we do it on a cloudy day? Let's go hide while the sun is out, shall we?"

Edward sighed,

"Bella, no one is going to come here, I promise you. Not unless they want to die."

My eyebrows shot up,

"Die?"

"The nearest water source is 50 miles from here."

"Oh."

Edward turned his stare from the cheetahs and faced me. He smiled and hopped off the tree gracefully, his feet creating a small cloud of dust. His hand grasped mine firmly as he whispered,

"Ready?"

I gulped dryly.

"No."

I eyed the lions resting beneath the shade of a tree, their huge teeth glistening dully in the sun. Their golden fur swayed gently in the hot breeze, their eyes drooping with sleep. Edward laughed as he saw my eyes scanning them carefully.

"Come on, even humans can catch these."

"Yes, but with tranquilizer guns."

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Bella, their guns are of no compare with our abilities."

With this statement, he smiled wickedly and got into a crouching position. He growled,

"Watch me."

This was the first time that I watched Edward hunt. When I had been human, he had always vehemently refused my wanting of seeing him hunt. Now, I was free to see, even _ordered _to see.

Edward snarled and flew into the air, pouncing towards the cheetah. The animal yelped in surprise and began to slash through the brown grass like a bullet. However, it was no match to Edward's mad speed. His legs were moving gracefully, gaining upon his prey. I could smell the fear coming from the cheetah as Edward was one inch away from its body. Finally, it became entangled in Edward's grasp, yelping in pain. And then… it happened.

I drew in a sharp intake of breath, watching as Edward's nails dug into the animal's flesh, oozing with fresh, young blood. He lowered his teeth to its neck, ignoring the hopeless attempt of its feeble body to escape. His lips curled around the flesh, and I could see by my amazing vision that he was drinking.

It was disgusting… terrifying.

I let out a dry sob and scrambled to the nearest tree. With ragged breathing, I leaned on the scorching bark, slowly sinking into the ground. My hands covered my face and I started to weep without tears, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Bella?"

My head shot up from my knees and directly towards the direction of Edward's face. I bit my lips and turned away, knowing that I had hurt him terribly.

Edward slowly made his way towards me, his clothes stained in crimson blood. He kneeled in front of me, his eyes looking into mine intently.

"Are you alright?"

I gulped and choked out a trembling,

"Yes."

"No you're not."

He did not touch me, knowing that his fingertips were dripping with blood. He whispered,

"I'm sorry."

"No!"

My voice came out stronger than I had expected. I repeated softly,

"No, don't be sorry. Please."

Edward stood up slowly and leaned beside the tree as well. I did not turn my head to look at him as he spoke,

"Do you see why I did not want to change you? I think that your unselfishness is rather turning against you, Bella. You're going to die of malnutrition soon if you don't hunt. I'm sorry for forcing you to go against your nature."

I shook my head.

"This was my choice."

"No, it wasn't. I turned you when you were sick, unconscious."

"I would've wanted you to change me even if I was conscious."

"But now you regret it."

"No, I do not."

"Bella, be honest. You possibly can't turn your back against your nature, the honesty of this situation. You can't bear to drink from another, even an _animal._"

Perhaps it was the heat of the moment that made me say this. However, I believe that it was for the love of Edward, to prove to him that I was glad that he had changed me, that made me say this:

"Yes I can, Edward. Just watch."

Edward was suddenly in front of me, his face aghast.

"Honestly, Bella, don't do this because you are being stubborn."

I gently pushed him out of the way and stood, trembling, a few yards away from the lions.

"I'm hungry. Now tell me how to do this."

Edward stood beside me, his voice barely a whisper,

"Trust yourself."

I nodded quickly and stepped forward. I closed my eyes, focusing only on the thirst that was burning in my throat. I let my nose be filled with the sweet scent of the lions' blood, nurturing my bloodlust. I thought mindlessly,

_Blood…blood…blood…blood… _

Everything became sharper, even painfully clear. My eyes zoomed in on the lion, seeing every strand of its hair gently swaying in the breeze. I could hear the loud pulse of its blood, pounding like drums in the rhythm of its heart. My throat was scorching, hundred times more painful than when I was human and had not drunk water for an entire day. I could not stand it any longer. Immediately, instinctively, I crouched gracefully, my teeth exposed dangerously. I let out a wild snarl and pounced upon my prey.

All I remember was the hot wind blowing through my hair. I felt my hands grip the lion's fur savagely, digging my nails into its muscles. When I had made sure that my prey could not struggle, I knelt beside it and lowered my face to its main pulse. I hesitated for a moment, but remembered Edward. With one last look at its topaz fur, I sunk my teeth into its vein and drank.

I became distracted by the delicious taste of its blood that I could not bring myself to stop. When I felt that it could not be drunken from anymore, I let my grip go. My eyes scanned over my prey. It was dead, cold, dry. I gasped and turned my head sharply to see Edward kneeling beside me.

"Edward, I…"

"I'm sorry, Bella."

I smiled.

"No, actually… that was good!"

Edward looked at me surprised, his eyes scanning my face. He cracked up a smile and murmured,

"You're actually good at this. I am surprised that you are not disgusted in the taste of the blood. I mean, it was very hard for me to resist human blood and drink animal blood. Sort of like eating soy and beans, you know."

I shrugged.

"I can taste no difference."

"You mean… the smell for the humans and animals are the same?"

"The blood? Yes."

"Bella…"

His voice was skeptical, and his eyes were narrowed.

"You don't believe me?"

"It's rather hard to swallow."

I plopped down on the hot patch of grass and let the warmth soak up into my skin. I was actually glittering like broken pieces of glass, shattering broken rainbows over the flat, dry desert. However, I thought Edward much more beautiful than I looked with sparkling skin. I stared at him mindlessly, awed at his angelic beauty. Edward's eyebrows were knitted and he questioned,

"What?"

I laughed and played with the strands of my hair.

"I have my own theories."

"Tell me."

"Do you remember how Carlisle said that my gift was that I was unselfish? Well… I think that it makes me feel as if the blood scent is the same. That is my gift."

"It is surely an envious gift."

I rested my cheek on one hand and stared at him with narrowed eyes. I sighed,

"Well… I was thinking more like…"

Edward's lips were twitching as he asked,

"Like what?"

"Like… I don't know, telepathy, throw stuff with some invisible power, um… talk to animals, maybe…"

He snorted in response, which I ignored.

"If you talked to animals, Bella, then you would die of thirst."

I muttered underneath my breath,

"Whatever."

Edward threw back his head and laughed, sending waves of music into the hot, desert air. We looked at each other affectionately, our emotions connecting with each other's. Finally, after a long silence, Edward brushed off the dust from his pants.

"Ready to go home now?"

"Yes."

I followed suite and grabbed his hand, looking up at him smilingly. He grinned his crooked smile in return, sending my heart fluttering.

It was true love that would last forever.

Forever.

Yet it was so fragile, as anyone who could bother might tamper with it, sending my forever into a mass of confusion.

But I was insouciant of that matter right now, as I was looking into the eyes of my sole love, my beautiful angel.

Forever.

It had a nice ring to it.

**Review please! Or I won't continue! Ok, that sounded demanding. Um… let me start again… Please review as I would really appreciate it!!! Reviews are such nice little gifts! Thank you so much for reading! **


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Would you actually believe me if I said I did? I didn't think so. (Um, that didn't sound like me... kind of bitter, but oh well.)  
_  
Thank you so much for the reviews: EmilyLovesYOU, CLfev, Bella Mason, checkerball, dary fairy79, GoodyGoody23, I-Love-Twilight-And-Paramore, Emmleelicious rocks the catbox, reginah72, Donyel, trulyfearless17, vampire-lover-chica, monkey luver, losingmyfaith, Asquared91, and iheardEdward! Thank you sooo much. I really, really do appreciate all of the reviews that I receive and they are just amazing and wonderful._

_Ok... a confession to make. I admit it, I have been purposely taking a break from my story. It's been hard getting new ideas lately and I've been addicted to these series. I'm reading one right now as I am typing this. And, oh, yeah. Microsoft Word is currently unavailable and I have no spell check!! Please excuse me if some of the letters are not capitalized and I have spelling mistakes. No more red underlining! I feel so... lonely... In case you're wondering, I am using WordPad right now. So sad-making._

_Anyways, you probably don't want to read any more of my whining blabbers._

_Here's chapter 15_

_blackjeans101  
_

**Chapter 15**

"Please put on your seat belts for your own safety as we begin our descent. Please remember to strap yourself in first, then assist your children. Thank you." 

A woman's lazy voice rang around the airplane, causing everyone to reach for the black strap. Edward leaned towards me and gently pulled the seat belt around my stomach and chest. I rolled my eyes and scolded,

"Edward, didn't you hear the lady?"

He shrugged, a crooked grin on his lips. He whispered into my ear,

"You're always first, no matter what anybody has to say about it."

I smiled as he turned his head to pull the seat belt around himself. The flight attendant strolled down the aisle to make sure that everyone had their seat belts on, and briefly paused to stare at Edward. Her blue eyes grew wide and her thin, red lips curled up into a coy smile. She flipped her blonde hair back and leaned towards me, as if she was making sure I had it on correctly. A frown played on her lips flirtatiously, and she murmured,

"Oh no, I think you put this on incorrectly."

She looked up underneath her eyelashes, staring at Edward intently. She asked softly,

"Could you please help with this?"

Edward seemed to be trying hard not to burst out laughing. I felt a twinge of annoyance. There was nothing funny about this! I replied in a polite tone,

"I think that it's done just fine, no offense."

Ignoring me entirely, she twirled a lock of golden hair around her finger as she smiled at Edward. He shrugged and said,

"I don't think we need any assistance, thank you."

She stood up jerkily and threw me an annoyed look. With another toss of her blonde hair, she strutted proudly down the aisle, her heels clicking angrily against the floor. When she was out of earshot, Edward started to laugh musically.

"What is so funny?"

Edward, still laughing, answered,

"You should've heard what she was thinking. When I leaned down to assist you with your seat belt, she was going to grab my hands as if it was accidental and 'trip', leaning her lips to mine."

Suddenly, he stopped laughing, and a disgusted look came to his face. His eyebrows were knitted together as he murmured,

"Humans. They are so selfish and sly. She obviously knew that you were with me, but she decided to try it anyway."

"She doesn't even know you."

"Exactly. It's all about the looks."

His face became angry as he muttered,

"I'm just afraid what the men will think about you and even do to you."

I smiled lightly and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I can defend myself."

He nodded, but his face was still grave. He whispered darkly,

"I know, but you can't defend yourself against their thoughts. It's so disgusting. I am glad that you can't hear them, but I am not looking forward to hearing them. It'll take everything that I have not to break their necks right then and there."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I controlled myself when she flirted with you."

Edward chuckled and kissed my ear playfully. He murmured,

"However, I won't if someone tries that with you."

I was about to say something when Edward started to undo my seat belt.

"Time to meet Charlie."

The plane had landed, and I hadn't even noticed. I sighed and stood up, my heart feeling heavy. What if Charlie noticed my differences? Would he be concerned that I was pale? How would he think about my lack of appetite for human foods? What did Alice tell him?

Edward noticed my frown and kissed my cheeks. He murmured,

"Trust Alice."

I nodded and grabbed Edward's hand firmly. As we stepped into the vast, noisy airport, I saw Alice skipping to meet us. I cringed as she gathered me into a bone breaking hug, squeezing with all of her might. She whispered fiercely,

"I missed you so much!"

I choked out,

"If you don't let me go, you're going to miss me again."

She laughed, her pixie-like face smiling. She murmured,

"Charlie's here to see you."

Panic flooded into my veins as I peered behind the Cullens' smiling faces. Charlie was beginning to walk towards me, his face light and happy.

"Alice, what do I say?"

An evil grin flickered across her smile face as she shrugged. I gaped at her, horrified, as Charlie gathered me up into a hug.

"How was China?"

I was glad that he did not question why Edward and I were alone in China, why the Cullens had left early. I smiled shakily and said,

"It was great, dad!"

He nodded and turned to Edward. I was surprised to see Charlie wink at him. He whispered - he did not think that I could hear,

"Thanks for taking care of my daughter, Edward."

Edward smiled and shook Charlie's hand.

"It had been my pleasure, Charlie."

As all the rest started to filter out of the airport, Edward and I lagged behind. I whispered,

"What's going on, Edward?"

He shrugged and said nothing. I probed him further with questions,

"Shouldn't Charlie be suspicious? Even angry?"

Edward smiled and gently asked,

"Do you want him to be?"

I shook my head fervently, shivering at the thought Charlie's angry face.

"No."

"Then what's the worry?"

I sighed and muttered,

"Just curious, you know."

Edward laughed and squeezed my hand gently, his face amused. We kept walking until we reached the cars. Evidently, Charlie had gotten a lift from the Cullens. Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice rode in Rosalie's car, Charlie, Esme, and Carlisle went into the Mercedes. That left Edward and me to go in the silver Volvo, which had been brought by Alice. I was glad that I could be alone with Edward for awhile. I still had some questions to ask.

Edward seemed to have sensed this, because as soon as we got into the car, he murmured,

"Ask away."

I smiled and started,

"Ok. I want to know what Alice told Charlie."

Edward's face was emotionless as he adjusted the front seat mirror. Staring into his reflection's eyes, he muttered,

"Next."

I sighed,

"Why not?"

He left the mirror alone and put his hands unto the steering wheel. His expression still unreadable, he said again,

"Next."

I scowled and muttered,

"You're going to have to tell me some time. How will I tell Charlie what I was doing in China, alone with you?"

A smile crept up his lips as he answered,

"You won't have to."

I gaped at him, my mouth hung open. His finger gently pushed my chin back to place, and I frowned. I could see that this conversation was not going anywhere. I changed the subject,

"Are we going back to school Monday?"

"Yes."

"But..."

"You can resist human blood, which means you'll have to continue your education."

"Where will I live?"

"I don't know."

I frowned, my eyebrows knitted together.

"If I live with Charlie, he'll think that it's weird that I don't go to the bathroom, eat meals, or even do any 'human' stuff."

Edward choked on the last phrase.

"Human stuff?"

I glowered at him, embarrassment creeping up my face. I was glad that I could not blush.

"You know what I mean."

He laughed, sending musical waves throughout the car. I folded my arms and pouted, annoyed that Edward would find something that embarrassing amusing. He leaned down and kissed ear, his cool breath covering my ear as he murmured,

"I'm sorry."

I rolled my eyes and muttered,

"You'd better be."

He laughed again and pulled his face back. I asked,

"Where are we going?"

"To my house."

"Why?"

He sighed and put both of his hands on the steering wheel.

"Because..."

He hesitated, and turned his face so that he was looking at me fully in the eyes. His eyes were topaz and smoldering as he said,

"Because... I think it's better to have Charlie know what you are."

**_I really didn't like this chapter, and I think that it was the worst chapter ever written in this story. T.T _**

_**I hate transitioning chapters, don't you? But I had to get them out of Africa and introduce that Charlie was going to be aware of Bella's new... um, situation. Please review if you can. Thank you so much for reading, and I promise that I'll try (TRY) to make the other chapters much better. Thanks!!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters – Bella, Edward, etc. I also do not own the idea, such as that Edward is a vampire.**

_  
Thank you so very, very much for the reviews: trulyfearless17, checkerball, dary fairy79, CLfev, 1stepbehind29, xxpiratesxx, tri72, twilightlover1234, Asquared91, I-love-twilight-and-paramore, iheartedward, losingmyfaith, Fallenangel5439, and GoodyGoody23!!_

_And I would like to apologize for not updating sooner. I have this really bad cold right now, and there is this really big project in science... sigh... please forgive me if I don't update soon in the future._

_And... also about the chapter... I can't really portray Charlie very well... so... hee hee_

_blackjeans101_

**Chapter 16**

Two cold snakes slivered down my back as I stared at Edward with wide eyes. I stammered, 

"But...but..."

Edward reached down to gently grab my hands and he leaned his face closer to mine. His breath was delicious as he murmured,

"Only if you want to, Bella."

I searched his face for an answer. An answer to which question, I did not know. In the silence, Edward stroked my hands slowly, calming me over time. I finally managed to ask,

"But I thought you had an excuse for why we were in China."

He smiled.

"Yes. Alice told Charlie that Carlisle was needed at the hospital, and decided to leave China early. We ordered all the tickets, but when we got them, you fell sick... and... I decided to stay with you."

"Then we can just leave it at that, right? I mean, we don't have to tell him..."

"Bella."

Edward's nose was softly brushing against mine, causing electric shocks through my body. He whispered,

"Don't be afraid to tell the truth. Alice said that it was going to go well."

His topaz eyes were smoldering and warm as he lowered his face and gently brushed his lips on mine. Before he could draw back, I knotted my fingeres into his copper hair and kissed him, mouth open. Finally, he drew back and looked into my eyes.

"Will you tell Charlie?"

His voice was velvety soft, but that was not what affected my choice. I nodded and Edward smiled encouragingly. We got out of the car and he murmured,

"It'll go perfectly, don't worry."

I nodded nervously as we headed to the front door, rather too quickly for my liking. As we opened the door, everyone was sitting in the livingroom as if they had been there for hours. Carlisle stood up and smiled, his eyes kind.

"Have a seat, Bella, Edward."

Edward held my hand as he led me to the couch near the window, facing Charlie.

Where should I begin? What should I say? A million questions flooded through my mind, causing me to feel dizzy. I must've grabbed my head, because Edward whispered,

"Are you ok, Bella?"

I quickly dropped my hands to my lap and nodded. Carlisle was engaged in a conversation with Charlie about fishing and the type of fish. I looked at Edward with a worried expression on my face, my stomach turning and dancing. Edward seemed to understand.

"Charlie."

The conversation faded slowly as Edward addressed Charlie. It seemed as if the world had stopped right then, that second of silence. Charlie turned his head and glanced at me, then at Edward.

"Charlie, we all have something very important to discuss with you."

Charlie nodded and said,

"Sure, go ahead."

Edward turned his head to look at me, handing over the conversation into my hands. My shoulders sagged nervously, but I quickly straightened them out. I nodded at Edward, then faced Charlie.

"Dad, when I told you that Edward and I were alone in China, I was sick."

Charlie nodded, his face unreadable. He said,

"I knew that, Bells."

"I should've died back then. I had the sickness very badly."

Charlie frowned as he asked,

"What do you mean, Bella?"

"I would've been dead if Edward didn't save me... Edward saved me by changing me."

He knit his eyebrows together as if I was talking nonsense.

One statement would explain everything.

It perhaps would decide my further relationship with Charlie.

"I have been turned into a vampire."

Silence crashed down upon the livingroom like thunder as soon as the words were out of my lips. Charlie looked dumbstruck, and I could almost see images flickering across his face, slowly understanding my difference. My paleness. My coldness. My perfection. My grace. My eyes. My smell, even.

Charlie stared at me, his eyes bulging. His face began to turn red as he asked in a low voice,

"Do...do you drink blood?"

I had been expecting this question. I almost collapsed with relief that Charlie was not screaming his head off, face red. I nodded and explained,

"Yes, but only of animals. It's not any different from eating meat, is it?"

Charlie trembled slightly, his face pale and sweaty. He turned his head to look into each of the Cullens' faces individually, his eyes wide and somewhat fearful.

"N...no... I guess not."

I flew up from my chair and hugged Charlie fiercely.

"Thank you so much, dad. Thank you for understanding."

Charlie looked dazed, as if he was walking inside a foggy dream. He said gruffly,

"Vampire or not, you're still my daughter."

I smiled and turned to Edward, who was also grinning. Charlie faced Edward and said,

"Thank you, Edward, for saving Bella."

"I am sorry about her being, but I am also very grateful that she could...live."

"And I can't tell anyone about this."

It was a statement of understanding, acceptance.

"That would be very helpful for Bella and for us as well."

Charlie nodded and sank back into his chair, eyes focused on the ceiling. I could hear his heart pound nervously, and even smell the salty sweat. It was surreal for him. It was like one of those moments when something huge happens, and you expect every second of it to be intense, sharp. However, mine was surreal, ethereal, and dreamy. I could almost convince myself that this was a dream, and wake up to find Edward's sweet face peering into mine, then say,

"Bella, it's time to wake up. You're going to be late to school."

Then I'd sigh and slouch out of bed, disappointed yet relieved. Disappointed that I had not gained an eternity with Edward, that I had not been changed. Relieved that I was not causing so much pain to Charlie - although he did not show it, I could feel it - and I would have a chance to try and convince Edward to change me again.

But I couldn't sleep.

Therefore I couldn't awake.

I was a vampire.

I closed my eyes, trying to filter through my thoughts, as Charlie was doing. I didn't know what to think, though. I didn't know what to feel. What would Edward and I do now?

"Bells."

I quickly snapped my eyes open, gladly, at Charlie's soft call of my name. I could see that his eyes were slightly watery as he strode to where I was sitting. He laid a fatherly hand on my shoulder and said with a rough voice,

"I think it's best for you to start living with the Cullens, since they know more about this vampire business than I ever can."

I looked up from his sad face to the faces of the Cullens, and I smiled, happy yet sad.

"Yes, Dad. I think so too. I will miss you and I promise to visit you often."

"It's only Forks, Bells. No need to be so mopey."

I grinned and stood up, and hugged him gently.

"Goodbye."

Charlie broke away from our embrace and headed towards the door. He turned and gave me an encouraging smile. With that, he left.

**  
I was actually sort of planning on a screaming Charlie but while I was writing it, it seemed kind of strange to do that. I can't think straight right now... so please blame my sickness if you didn't like the chapter lol. Thank you so much for reading... please review...**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, which means that the idea of being Edward a vampire, his character, etc. does not belong to me. 

Thank you very, very much for all of the reviews that I have received so far! Wow, I can't believe that I almost have 200 reviews!!! Thank you so much for your support and reading/reviewing my story!!!!

Thank you's to: Bella Mason, twilightlover1234, GoodyGoody23, FalllenAngel5439, I-love-twilight-and-paramore, dary fairy79, oblivious2theworld, losingmyfaith, Donyel (xxpiratesxx), TotalVampire-holic, and Isabella Heart! Thank you soo much!

This will be my last chapter!

And Happy Valentine's Day! (Well, it's Valentine's Day when I'm typing this...so...yes...I'm single if you're curious lol)

blackjeans101

**Chapter 17**

**Not a Happily Ever After**

I inhaled Edward's scent as I laid on the bed contently, the soft sheets brushing against my skin. Edward was sitting in the other corner of the room, flipping through his various CD cases, frowning at sudden ones that he didn't like. I flopped over to my stomach and stared at him as he scrutinized each case of the CD, his topaz eyes scanning it with approbation or dislike.

"Edward, do you like rap?"

He looked up from the CD that he was holding and glanced at me. A crooked smile broke through his lips as he said,

"No, I never have liked such music."

I nodded, and got up from the bed. I walked behind him and wrapped my arms around his neck,

"Let's hear some music."

Edward smiled and reached into a small stack, his long fingers reaching for a navy blue case.

"Would you like to listen to Debussy?"

I tipped my head over and kissed his ear playfully.

"Ok, whatever you want."

Edward frowned and glanced at me, his eyebrows knit together. He said with mock sterness,

"No, whatever you want."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the CD from his hands, and popped it into the CD player. Soft music started to play, and I sighed in contentment. I made my way toward Edward and sat on his lap, with his arms around my waist protectively. I leaned my head unto his shoulder, feeling his tight, protective hold.

His lips soon found my throat, which he started to kiss. His cool lips pressed against my throat, then unto my cheeks. I groaned, which made Edward chuckle, and break the magic of his kisses. I whispered,

"Don't stop."

He whispered back,

"Bella."

"Yes?"

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

His fingers reached to where my eyelids were and gently pulled them down, creating a soft, black curtain to fall over my vision. I soon felt Edward slipping away beneath me. I called out,

"Edward, don't leave me."

I heard his velvety voice from another corner of the room call out softly,

"I won't."

I nodded and waited paitently, until I felt Edward hoist me up to his lap again. However, he had me up into his arms bridal style.

"Edward! What are you doing?"

"Hold on."

Soon, I felt the wind rushing through my hair, which told me that Edward was running at vampire speed. I threatened to open my eyes, but I knew that I couldn't for the sake of not disappointing Edward. Soon, he whispered,

"You can open your eyes now."

I frowned and asked,

"Do I want to?"

"Perhaps, if you want to see me again."

I snorted and let my eyelids flutter open. We were in a forest, with the damp soil beneath me and the wide, blue sky stretching out forever above. The trees majestically towered over us, and I could see faint lines of stone mountains in the distance. I inhaled the crisp, cool air with happiness,

"Thank you, Edward."

He let me down and held my hand firmly.

"Anything for you, love."

I grinned as we strayed from the path, and soon arrived near a small pond. It was very pretty, with wild flowers growing amongst over grown grass. We sat beside a weeping willow, which was swaying gently in the breeze.

"Did you know that weeping willows are my favorite type of trees?"

"Yes, I did."

I stared at him quizzically, my eyebrows raised.

"Do you remember me asking you?"

I tried to swim through my hazy human memory, and I began to remember Edward asking me lots of questions about myself.

"Sort of... did you take me here on purpose?"

"Yes..."

Edward looked at me with smoldering eyes, his lips in a beautiful, crooked smile. Warmness enveloped my heart as he leaned down to press his cool lips against mine. When he broke the kiss, I murmured,

"I hate it how you can do that."

Edward tipped his head to one side, his eyebrow raised artistically. I almost laughed aloud; I had always wondered how Greek Gods would look confused. Now I knew.

"Do what?"

"How you can dazzle me into anything."

An unreadable expression came to his face as he asked,

"Did I dazzle you into kissing me?"

"Well... you always makes me want to kiss you, if that is what you want to know."

I would've blushed had I been human, as I felt awkward talking to him about that. Edward brushed his finger on my chin as he whispered,

"You make me want to do this everytime I see you."

Edward knelt beside me and embraced me into a passionate kiss, and I felt as if I was going to explode with joy. I knot my fingers into his copper hair and let myself be carried in the arms of my angel, into the bright sky of happiness. But all too soon, Edward broke the kiss.

"Bella."

He was staring at me with intense eyes, his topaz eyes shimmering.

"Yes, Edward?"

"Do you love me?"

I looked at him, shocked.

"Of course!"

"You want to live me with forever, eternally, and let me love you?"

I sighed at the very thought.

"That is everything I can ever possibly wish for."

Edward smiled crookedly and murmured,

"Give me your hand."

I willingly withdrew my cold hands and placed them softly in his outstretched one. He gripped my hand firmly yet gently, and lowered his lips to kiss them. When he had planted a soft kiss on my hand, he began to rub my fingers with a slight frown.

"'Your hands are too cold."

I rolled my eyes and answered,

"Well, considering that I have no blood circulation, one can only wonder and ask."

He chuckled and held my fourth, little ring finger in between his hands carefully. He whispered,

"But I wanted you to keep this warm."

As quick as lightening, but as gently as the morning rain, he slipped on a gold band on my finger. I gasped as I stared at it, a simple, gold ring with a ruby in the middle. Two bands of diamonds were surrounding it. It looked like two hands holding a ruby. It was perfect and beautiful.

I looked at him with adoring eyes as I whispered,

"It'll always be warmed with my heart."

Edward smiled, and pressed his lips to mine.

"Will you marry me, Isabella Marie Swan?"

I laughed and put both my hands into his. I murmured,

"I will, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

He pulled me into a full embrace, and put me on his laps, rocking me back and forth. The weeping willow beside us swayed in the breeze, as if weeping. I murmured,

"He's weeping for joy. His tears will have to do for mine, as I can't cry."

Edward kissed my head and did not reply. He kept rocking me back and forth, his bronze hair ruffled by the cool wind. I suddenly wondered aloud,

"I wonder what it'll be like, being married."

He laughed, sending waves of tinkling music into the air.

"You won't have to wait so long to find out. We'll marry as soon as we graduate."

I kissed the ring on my finger and murmured,

"For now, I am happy being engaged to the most wonderful person in the world."

Edward leaned his face closer and kissed my cheek as I had kissed the ring,

"And I, the most beautiful angel the world had ever seen."

I smiled and whispered, almost to myself,

"When I was a little girl, I always used to be jealous of the princesses who ended their stories with their happily ever after."

Edward chuckled and wrapped me into his arms tighter than before. He kissed my ear playfully, and murmured,

"I am perfectly satisfied to tell you know that this won't be your happily ever after, as there will be many more to come, my love."

I closed my eyes as he whispered,

"My angel."


End file.
